Prime Minister Abe's trip to Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia underscores the focus of Japan's Asian diplomacy, notes Jeff Kingston, a faculty member at Temple University, Japan Campus. Abe commented that China's economic rise is definitely a plus for Japan but it is important for China to act responsibly. Coming amid an escalating territorial dispute with China, Kingston says, it appears that Abe's diplomacy aims to strengthen Japan's hand vis-a-vis China.