Ist Händeschütteln im Sitzen ein Tabu? Kontroverse über die diplomatische Etikette von Premierminister Ishiba, Meinungen von Experten

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s behavior during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru on November 15–16, including shaking hands while seated, missing the group photo, and crossing his arms, has sparked controversy on social media. Posts such as “rude” and “embarrassing” have been widely shared. But what’s the reality of the situation? We asked experts on diplomatic etiquette for their opinions.

At the APEC summit on November 15, a video showing Prime Minister Ishiba shaking hands with several foreign leaders while seated was widely shared on social media. On the Prime Minister’s official website, there are photos of Ishiba shaking hands while seated with leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with the foreign leaders standing.

A senior official from the Prime Minister’s office explained, “This happened before the meeting began, so there’s no diplomatic problem. It’s common for leaders to rush to greet each other just before the bell signals the start of the meeting.” However, on social media, many criticized Ishiba, with some comments saying, “As the leader of Japan, please maintain proper manners and etiquette.”

Additionally, Ishiba was criticized for missing the group photo taken on November 16 at the conclusion of the summit, with several posts calling it a “blunder.”

Regarding the reason for his absence, the government explained that Ishiba had been caught in a traffic jam while en route to pay respects at the grave of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who passed away in September. Foreign Minister Taro Kono remarked at a press conference that he did not believe the absence affected the outcome of the summit or Japan’s relationship with other leaders. He added, “In conclusion, it’s very unfortunate that he was absent.”

On social media, a video of Ishiba standing with his arms crossed during a welcoming ceremony, while other leaders gathered and mingled, was also widely shared, with many commenting that it was “rude.”

In defense of the Prime Minister, Shinsuke Sugiyama, former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. and now a special professor at Waseda University, said in an interview: “Prime Minister Ishiba did not violate any protocol. At meetings with dozens of leaders, it is common for greetings to come rushing in from leaders the Prime Minister is meeting for the first time, so there’s no reason to believe that sitting down to greet them would leave a bad impression.” Sugiyama defended Ishiba’s actions.

However, regarding the absence from the group photo, Sugiyama commented, “It was an official event, and no matter the circumstances, one should never be late. He should have been present. Traffic jams can happen anywhere in the world. The responsibility for this lies with the government’s logistics team, and they need to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

It’s Trudodo, he’s used to bowing and scraping