At the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Wednesday, Wong said Singapore and fellow Southeast Asian states supported Tokyo stepping into a bigger role in the region, including on the security front, for greater stability.
Takaichi earlier this month said Japan could deploy its military in the event of a contingency in Taiwan, enraging Beijing officials, who claimed her remarks damaged bilateral ties and challenged the post-war international order.
Wong on Wednesday noted that while both nations were major trading partners, their ties were “complex” due to territorial disputes, historical wars and Japan’s alliance with the United States.
He declined to comment on Takaichi’s initial remarks, and noted that Japan seemed to be inclined to stabilise its relationship with China and not escalate matters.
