The exact date remains a tightly guarded secret, but Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will soon become the third world leader to travel Down Under in barely a month.
Unlike Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Takaichi is unlikely to arrive in Australia declaring the international rules-based order dead.
But of the trio, her dilemma most closely mirrors that of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he navigates the world’s two dominant superpowers.
Like Albanese, Takaichi is juggling heavy economic dependence on Beijing with a defence strategy deeply embedded under Washington’s umbrella. The return of US President Donald Trump has sparked anxiety in Tokyo.
