PM Abe's Cuba Visit Reflected Hope to 'Expand Tokyo's Influence Beyond Asia'

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cuba visit reveals that he is interested in enlarging Tokyo's clout beyond the Asia-Pacific region, Victor Teo, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at the University of Hong Kong, told Sputnik.

In an interview with Sputnik, Victor Teo, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at the University of Hong Kong and a Visiting Scholar at Harvard-Yenching Institute, described Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent visit to Cuba as Tokyo's attempt to expand its clout beyond the Asia-Pacific region.

The interview came after Abe arrived in Cuba for the first time during his tenure in order to try "to open a new page in the friendly relationship between both nations." 

During the meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro, Abe discussed how economic ties between the two countries could be expanded.

He also met with Castro's older brother, Fidel, the former Cuban leader, during the course of the visit.

Japan's interest in the development of relations with Cuba grew after 2015, when the United States and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations, which had been severed since 1961.

In May 2015, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida paid a visit to Havana in the first trip by a Japanese official to the island nation.

Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro, right, talks with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, during a meeting in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016

© AP Photo / Alex Castro

Speaking to Sputnik, Victor Teo said that Abe's visit to Japan was not just aimed at discussing economic issues with Cuba.

"I think that Abe's visit goes beyond economics. By visiting Cuba, he is trying to increase Japan's role as a political and security power, and he's also trying to expand Japan's influence beyond the Asia-Pacific region. To that end, he is trying to reach out to places where Japan's foreign policy has not been very active for the past twenty years," Teo said.

When asked about whether the recent thaw in relations between Washington and Havana would influence Cuban-Japanese ties, Teo remained cautiously optimistic about the matter.

"It works well both for the Japanese and the Americans, and it may add to the US-Japan security alliance that we have never seen before," he said.

Teo also said that the development of Japanese-Cuban economic cooperation is of great importance to Tokyo.

"Japan is trying to stimulate its economy and in this regard, Cuba might be considered a good recipient for Japanese investment, including funding pumped into building infrastructure," he said adding that Cuba has yet to meet Japan's investment criteria.

Earlier this year, Cuba inked a debt restructuring deal with Japan according to which Tokyo will forgive part of Havana's debt, according to the Iranian news website Press TV.

It recalled that "Japan has a long history of trade with Cuba, importing coffee, tobacco and seafood from the country while exporting machinery to it."

Press TV also quoted an official statement related to Abe's meeting with Fidel Castro as saying that the pair "discussed the complexities and hazards affecting the world and the need to strengthen efforts toward the elimination of nuclear weapons and the preservation of peace."