PM Takaichi Pledges Deepened Japan–Africa Partnership at Africa Day Reception

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressed African ambassadors in Tokyo at the annual Africa Day celebration dinner, invoking the legacy of Shinzo Abe's 2016 Free and Open Indo-Pacific speech in Kenya. Takaichi pledged to strengthen bilateral relations with the African continent and deepen economic cooperation, reinforcing Japan's tradition of Official Development Assistance and infrastructure investment across Africa. The reception took place against the backdrop of Japan's active diplomatic campaign to cultivate partners in the Global South as Beijing and Washington contest influence on the continent.