Japanese Premier Ishiba flies to Peru for first overseas trip

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba departed Thursday on his first trip to South America to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru and the G20 summit in Brazil, according to Kyodo news agency.

It is Ishiba's first foreign trip after he was reelected earlier this week following elections on Oct. 27, in which the ruling coalition, Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, Komeito, lost a majority in the House of Representatives.

Ishiba is expected to meet U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, said Kyodo News.

He is also expected to meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Japan and the UK are expected to launch an economic version of the "2 plus 2" talks to pursue economic security and promote free and fair trade.

Ishiba is also seeking a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in person before he returns to Japan, according to the agency.

On Wednesday, the Japanese prime minister received his second medical checkup in five days amid concerns about his health, which were swiftly rejected by the government.

The checkup came days after the 67-year-old lawmaker appeared to fall asleep during a parliamentary session earlier this week.