A conversation with the foreign policy speech-writer of Japan’s longest serving post-War Prime Minister.

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor & Senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this podcast, which comes a year after the assassination of Mr Shinzo Abe, he discusses the impact that Mr Abe left on his country and the wider region, with Professor Tomohiko Taniguchi of Keio University, who was special adviser to Prime Minister Abe’s Cabinet.

Prof Taniguchi was also Mr Abe’s foreign policy speechwriter for a full 90 months.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:10 “I feel Abe is still alive”; On the father of ‘Indo Pacific’, Quad

7:16 How Abe wooed South-east Asia

9:15 "Xi Jinping would not have joined the Communist Party of USA"

13:24 Childless Abe gave hope to young Japanese

16:40 His most significant speeches: India, Australia, US

18:00 Soft corner for India; "Abe and Modi were soul-mates"; could Japan backtrack on Abe’s initiatives?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah Sani

Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

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Feedback to: [email protected]

Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Ravi Velloor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

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