Abe pitches ‘business diplomacy’ in Africa to counter China

Published: 13 Jan 2014

MAPUTO, Mozambique–Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on a mission of business diplomacy in his current trip to Africa to secure valuable natural resources for Japan, as rival China also is making a major push into the world’s second largest continent. “Africa is the frontier for Japanese diplomacy,” Abe said prior to leaving Japan. Abe has stressed in the past that it is extremely important for Japan economically to incorporate the activity being generated in Africa. His current visit to Mozambique, where he arrived Jan. 11, is considered paramount because Japan has high expectations for that nation…