Japan`s Abe stakes out new identity in region: stronger leadership, wider military reach
(WorldNews Japan)

TOKYO - Japan`s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stood before African leaders in Nairobi two years ago and outlined his vision for a vast stretch of the globe - from the Pacific to the Indian oceans - united by trade and a common political worldview. It was also a statement on the broader ambitions of Japan, which has watched China dethrone it as Asia`s top economic powerhouse. Japan`s initiative, called the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, is based on the principles of free trade and freedom of navigation, the rule of law and the market economy - and is partly a riposte to China`s Belt and Road plan that envisions investment and infrastructure flowing west from Beijing toward Africa and Europe. Japan...