Recommendations on Japan’s Foreign Policy towards Indo-Pacific Regional Diplomacy

Abstract

Following the overlapping interest on political, economic and security issues in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, an Indo-Pacific strategy started to gain importance in recent years as the region’s strategic importance in terms of maritime security was realized. The power dynamics in the region are expected to aff ect Japan’s security and prosperity as well. Therefore, the questions of how the regional order will be structured and how to deal with the swing states were included in Japan’s diplomatic agenda. This research project aims to introduce 16 policy recommendations for Japan’s Indo-Pacific diplomacy as a part of the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s Foreign Abstracts 20 Relations and Security Research Project” to strengthen Japan’s foreign relations with the powers in the region, especially with ASEAN, Australia, and India, to promote a liberal, open, free, rules-based order that is in line with Japan’s interest in responding to China’s growing influence. This project will provide a new diplomatic approach for Japan by describing appropriate measures to be taken in consideration of requirements, concerns and possible reactions of the countries concerned. Furthermore, the Japan-U.S. alliance will be tackled and emphasized along the way as recommendations are listed and the questions of why this alliance is beneficial for economic development and why it is necessary for Japan to gain sympathy from other countries in the region in order to build and strengthen the foundation of their Indo-Pacific strategy and to improve Japan’s influence on the region will be explained.