What does "ようと" usually imply in news articles?


Quoted from a [Sample
Article](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190518/k10011921001000.html)

> 日本は、中国やロシアと隣接し、豊富なエネルギー資源がある中央アジアへの関与を強め **ようと** 、平成16年から定期的に外相会合を開いています。

In my understanding, this article says that Japan is thought to have ambition
in getting involved in central asia countries, and **in order to achieve
that** , meetings among foreign ministers are held regularly.

I do not think this と is a quotative-と, as mentioned in [a might-be-related
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/45089/%E3%81%A0%E3%82%8D%E3%81%86%E3%81%A8-how-
can-i-translate-it), because the article news does not quote anything
originally said by someone. Instead, this と strikes me something like "they
did that because it is analyzed that they have such motive".

Is "ようと" just a shorten expression for "ようと思われ" or "ようと考えられ"？




You can think a verb like 考え(て) or して is omitted after と. `Volitional + と` is
a very common pattern, and it can be translated simply as "thinking ～",
"trying to ～" or "in order to ～". Despite its name, quotative-と has a [wide
variety of usages](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/68132/5010), and it
doesn't have to mark something actually said by someone. Note that none of the
examples in [this link](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/45089/5010)
includes quotative-と that is marking something actually said by someone.

The basic structure of the sentence is this:

> 日本は、平成16年から定期的に外相会合を開いています。  
>  Japan has held foreign ministerial conferences regularly since Heisei 16.

Everything after 日本は and と is the "quote". The content is Japan's own strategy
(i.e., Japan's own thinking) rather than what Japan is thought to be doing or
thinking. (There is no passive expression whatsoever in this sentence.)

> 日本は、 **「中央アジアへの関与を強めよう」と(考え)** 、平成16年から定期的に外相会合を開いています。  
>  **In order to strengthen the involvement in Middle Asia,** Japan has held
> foreign ministerial conferences regularly since Heisei 16.

"中国やロシアと隣接し、豊富なエネルギー資源がある" is a relative clause that modifies 中央アジア.

> 日本は、「 **中国やロシアと隣接し、豊富なエネルギー資源がある** 中央アジアへの関与を強めよう」と、平成16年から定期的に外相会合を開いています。  
>  In order to strengthen the involvement in Middle Asia, **which is adjacent
> to China and Russia and possesses rich energy resources,** Japan has held
> foreign ministerial conferences regularly since Heisei 16.

So the subjects of 強めよう and (omitted) 考え are both 日本.




You can think a verb like 考え(て) or して is omitted after と. `Volitional + と` is
a very common pattern, and it can be translated simply as "thinking ～",
"trying to ～" or "in order to ～". Despite its name, quotative-と has a [wide
variety of usages](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/68132/5010), and it
doesn't have to mark something actually said by someone. Note that none of the
examples in [this link](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/45089/5010)
includes quotative-と that is marking something actually said by someone.

The basic structure of the sentence is this:

> 日本は、平成16年から定期的に外相会合を開いています。  
>  Japan has held foreign ministerial conferences regularly since Heisei 16.

Everything after 日本は and と is the "quote". The content is Japan's own strategy
(i.e., Japan's own thinking) rather than what Japan is thought to be doing or
thinking. (There is no passive expression whatsoever in this sentence.)

> 日本は、 **「中央アジアへの関与を強めよう」と(考え)** 、平成16年から定期的に外相会合を開いています。  
>  **In order to strengthen the involvement in Middle Asia,** Japan has held
> foreign ministerial conferences regularly since Heisei 16.

"中国やロシアと隣接し、豊富なエネルギー資源がある" is a relative clause that modifies 中央アジア.

> 日本は、「 **中国やロシアと隣接し、豊富なエネルギー資源がある** 中央アジアへの関与を強めよう」と、平成16年から定期的に外相会合を開いています。  
>  In order to strengthen the involvement in Middle Asia, **which is adjacent
> to China and Russia and possesses rich energy resources,** Japan has held
> foreign ministerial conferences regularly since Heisei 16.

So the subjects of 強めよう and (omitted) 考え are both 日本.

