Koizumi Attends ASEAN Defense Meeting in Malaysia; U.S. and China Also Represented

By Takahito Higuchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:05 JST, November 1, 2025

KUALA LUMPUR — Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, where he was expected to emphasize the importance of stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The meeting, which has been held since 2010, serves as a framework in which defense ministers from ASEAN member nations and their partners discuss regional security issues, including those in the South China Sea, and promote defense cooperation and exchanges.

During the meeting, which started on Saturday morning, officials from 19 nations, including Japan, the United States and China, were expected to discuss regional security issues. China’s intensifying hegemonic behavior was likely to be a concern.

Koizumi was expected to stress the importance of stability in the Indo-Pacific region amid China’s aggressive expansion in the East and South China seas.

He was also expected to raise concerns about North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

Before departing for Malaysia, Koizumi said at a press conference on Friday, “I would like to stress to the participating nations the necessity of strengthening cooperation across the region for peace and prosperity in the region and the international community.”

He is scheduled to return to Japan on Sunday.