Nov. 12 (UPI) -- "Japan is back," declared Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at her diplomatic debut during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Echoing the legacy of her late mentor Shinzo Abe , she reaffirmed Japan's commitment to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy and pledged deeper cooperation with ASEAN in maritime security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and disaster response. The summit concluded with a joint statement endorsing FOIP and a proposal for a Japan-ASEAN AI