Japan attaches great importance to Southeast Asia in its Indo-Pacific strategy

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The government of Japan's new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is expected to follow its predecessor's policy of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, with Southeast Asia at the center. The signing of a new agreement on military logistics cooperation by Japan and India last month was a notable development as Japan adjusted its national security strategy and signaled a national policy adjustment. from passive to active and multilateral. The foundation of the agreement is the ability to expand Japan's defenses to the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on Southeast Asia. The Japanese presence in the Andaman Sea indicates Japan's intentions for a greater defense partnership with Southeast Asian countries.

New Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is also preparing to travel to Southeast Asia. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato emphasized that the visit is of great diplomatic significance and demonstrates Tokyo's commitment to a free and open "Indo-Pacific" region. In addition, the Foreign Ministers of the "Quartet" of Japan, India, Australia and the US also met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly late last year and emphasized Southeast Asia as the focus of strategy in the Indian Ocean. - Pacific.

The alliance between the US and Japan has played an important role in Japan's security strategy in the region, but Washington tends to withdraw its forces from many strategic regions around the world. While the US will not end its presence in the Pacific due to its strategic interests here, it can tighten its spending even further. That depends heavily on who becomes the next US president after the elections early next month. That is the reason why Japan wants to reconsider its security strategy, not completely dependent on the US on defense security issues.

Japan has made great strides in becoming one of the beloved countries in Southeast Asia. Japan's massive financial support during the 1997 Asian economic crisis and its peacekeeping role in regional conflicts have helped Japan gain high confidence in ASEAN. Japan's investment in Southeast Asia is now 367 billion USD, much higher than Chinese investment, about 255 billion USD. Japan also tends to gradually reduce its economic dependence on China, shifting production facilities to Southeast Asian countries. In catching this trend, the Indonesian government has issued policies to attract foreign businesses, including Japanese enterprises such as Panasonic, Sagami Electric.

Parag Khanna, founder of strategic consulting firm FutureMap, said that Southeast Asian countries have economic, demographic and geopolitical advantages. Even, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, GDP of Vietnam and Indonesia is forecasted to grow at 6.8% and 5% in 2021, respectively, while the regional growth is 4.7%, respectively. As a result, Japan's new Prime Minister Suga and perhaps his successors will continue to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, with Southeast Asia at the center and at it was the Japanese vision of a stable regional order.