Kana Inagaki in Tokyo, Kathrin Hille in Taipei, Maiqi Ding in Beijing, Christian Davies in Seoul and William Langley in Hong Kong
East and Southeast Asian leaders have hailed Queen Elizabeth II as the “backbone of global democracy” and the “soul of the UK”, as tributes to the former monarch poured in from across the region.
Fumio Kishida, Japan’s prime minister, said he was “deeply saddened” by the Queen’s death, noting that Britain’s longest-serving monarch “had played an important role for world peace and prosperity”.
“The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has led Britain through a turbulent global period, is not only a great loss for the citizens of the United Kingdom, but for the international community,” Kishida told reporters on Friday.
Kishida added that the Queen had contributed to strengthening ties between Britain and Japan, which is home to the world’s oldest continuous monarchy.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen expressed her deepest condolences to the British government, the people of the Commonwealth, HM King Charles III and the royal family, her office said.
Tsai hailed the Queen as “the backbone of global democracy”, noting that she had led the British people during World War II and more recently against the face of global authoritarianism.
“Taiwan and the United Kingdom are united in their gratitude for the Queen’s lifelong contribution to world peace and prosperity,” Tsai said.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien-loong called the Queen “the very heart and soul of the UK”.
“On behalf of the Singapore government, I offer my deepest condolences,” he added.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sent his “deepest condolences to the people of the United Kingdom”.
“[The Queen] had a strong belief in the cause of human freedom and left a great legacy of dignity. Her kind heart and good deeds will remain in our memories.”
