PM Ishiba calls for deeper security ties with Japan's ASEAN partners

Shigeru Ishiba considers the countries of the ASEAN bloc to be “trusted partners” of Japan.

His visit to a summit in Laos provided an important opportunity to highlight Japan's enormous investment in the Southeast Asian region.

The prime minister said Japan was well placed to contribute to decarbonization efforts without stifling economic growth.

He also said Japan would seek to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN states on maritime security, economic security and cybersecurity.

Warm response

His proposals elicited warm reactions. He avoided controversy by avoiding potentially divisive issues, such as his idea that Asia would have its own version of NATO.

Opinions on Japan vary among ASEAN member countries. This is not surprising, given their divergent positions on many issues, including foreign policy. And historically, war-scarred Southeastern countries are wary of military partnerships.

THE the leaders of the region nevertheless all agree promote peace, stability and prosperity in partnership with Japan, which is an official development partner of the ASEAN bloc. Japan's vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, based on the rule of law, also enjoys broad support.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is a particularly enthusiastic supporter of cooperation with Japan. He also openly criticizes China. Mr. Marcos used the Laos conference to accuse the Chinese coast guard of harassment and intimidation against his country.

“It is regrettable that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense and unchanged,” he said at the meeting in Laos.

President Marcos encouraged fellow ASEAN leaders to take a strong stance against Chinese aggression.

China's position

Xi Jinping chose not to attend the Laos meeting. Instead, he stayed in Beijing, organize a rival eventthe “China International Friendship Conference”. He rolled out the red carpet for people around the world who support the Chinese Communist Party.

It was therefore up to Premier Li Qiang to explain the Chinese position to the delegates in Vientiane. Faced with criticism of his government, he accused “external forces” of interfering in regional affairs.

China's ability to exert influence in Southeast Asia has diminished due to its economic slowdown. Spiraling costs have led China to reconsider the effectiveness of its controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Economists warn that the BRI creates debt problems for some countries, notably those in Southeast Asia, and undermines their sovereignty.

First meetings

The first meeting between Prime Minister Ishiba and Chinese Premier Li turned out to be frosty. Li said he hoped Japan and China could “meet each other halfway and keep their relations on the right track.”

The Vientiane conference also allowed Mr. Ishiba to hold his first official summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Furthermore, Mr. Ishiba wishes to build on the rapprochement between South Korea and Japan. This situation flourished early in the tenure of former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. However, recent progress has been slow.

Mr. Ishiba told Mr. Yoon that he would like to continue to further develop relations.

Most South Korean media outlets expressed a positive opinion of Mr. Ishiba. Journalists further noted an “anti-[Shinzo] Abe” which he included in his recent book. Some view this passage as an acknowledgment of the suffering endured by the Korean people during the colonial period.

Mr. Ishiba wrote: “Without recognizing the extent to which “annexation” – which stripped the country of its culture, its language, its public systems and even its army – hurt the national pride and identity of its people, a True trust cannot be established between Japan and South Korea. ”

The Quad in Asia

Secretary of State Antony Blinken represented the United States at the meeting in Laos.

America remains keen to strengthen its relations with Southeast Asian countries. However, the ASEAN bloc is not easy to manage. President Joe Biden, like his predecessor Donald Trump, prefers to work within the Quad, a group including Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a brief formal meeting with Mr Ishiba in Laos.

And a meeting between Mr. Ishiba and Indian leader Narendra Modi could prove particularly significant. The two leaders said Japan and India are “natural partners”, who share fundamental values ​​such as democracy, and will continue to work closely for peace and stability in the international community.

Under the auspices of their special and global strategic partnership, Japan and India will further develop their ties in the areas of defense and security. They will also support each other economically.

Synergy in Japan-India relations

K Yhome is a member of the Shillong-based think tank Asian confluence as well as an expert on Indo-Pacific issues. He believes that the arrival of the new Japanese Prime Minister augurs well for India.

“Ishiba has a strong sense of strengthening security in the region,” Yhome told ETV Bharat. “We have to weigh this with what’s happening in the region, China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region and North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions.”

He pointed out that India too had its own challenges with China. “This will be an area where India-Japan relations will see more synergy,” Yhome said. “There will be continuity in our bilateral relations.”

During his meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Laos, Mr. Ishiba encouraged the Indian leader to come to Tokyo soon.

However, to ensure the right to host such an esteemed guest, Mr. Ishiba will have to lead his party, the LDP, to victory in the national elections for the Lower House of the Japanese Parliament, which will take place on October 27 .

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Author: Duncan Bartlett, diplomatic correspondent
Mr. Bartlett is a diplomatic correspondent for JAPAN Forward and a research associate at the SOAS China Institute. Read his other articles and essays.