11 May 2020, NIICE Commentary 4605
Gitanjali Sinha Roy
On 10 January 2020, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi during his speech on “Towards a new stage of cooperation in the spirit of Gotong-Royong” at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat in Jakarta where he focused on the solidarity between ASEAN and Japan. Japan was the first to adopt the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and in June 2019, ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Both Japan and the ASEAN nations understand the paramount importance of the Indo-Pacific. In this context, the article draws out Japan’s interest in ASEAN concerning the Indo-Pacific.
The Indo-Pacific is a water region essential for international trade, economics and community exchange. It is a cardinal point of interconnectedness among the nations which is why there is a need to follow the basic principle of the international law of the sea with a primary focus on the freedom of navigation and peaceful settlement of the disputes and by following this, it helps in the genuine prosperity of the functioning of the sea routes. As the current scenario in the Indo-Pacific is volatile, it is rather a situation of life and death to maintain global peace, stability and prosperity especially in the devastating times of the COVID-19.
AOIP is based on openness, inclusivity and ASEAN centrality as it is a lifeline ensuring communications between people, products, commodities. This in turn inevitably intersects with the various ASEAN nations’ economies and other world economies which is a major driving force for multilateral frameworks for regional cooperation and is visible through ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Southeast Asia has always been the heart of interconnectedness as it paves a way for the global network between Europe in the west to Japan in the east making ASEAN the middle power; centrality is the lifeline in AOIP. Moreover, it will help ASEAN maintain their firm control as a regional order in the Indo-Pacific.
Japan encourages the fact that the ASEAN has adopted this perspective of the FOIP as ASEAN is at the centre of the Indo-Pacific which would again help Japan being a maritime nation as it would get access to the sea lanes and routes in the areas of the Southeast Asian countries enhancing cooperation in connectivity and maritime security and these are the roles that ASEAN plays. AOIP has accepted the rule based law of abiding by the international law of respecting the waters and that is the most essential factor of Japan’s FOIP perspective. Japan supports the ASEAN because the future image of the Indo-Pacific is indicated by the AOIP and has much in common that Japan envisions for the future of the Indo-Pacific.
The advantage for ASEAN is to seek a stable predictable economic as well as social environment to fully enjoy the prosperity and growth within the realm of the Indo-Pacific and be a regional architect to govern the region with clear rules and transparency. Today, the region of Indo-Pacific is the core of the global dynamism as it is home to half the world’s population and strategically important as all the leading players like the United States of America, Japan, Australia, India and China. It is crucial here to hold the balance of power as multiple players are involved and there are several advantages whether geo-economic, geopolitical and geo-strategic all of which are intertwined aiming for complete interconnectedness which would further implicate greater benefits for ASEAN.
Both Japan and the ASEAN stand together for their mutual interest and there is a need to nurture people people-to-people relations that would help to build institutions and aim for economic growth and amass wisdom like dealing with marine plastic waste and this lays its focus towards different projects between Japan and ASEAN through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other institutions. Japan’s relations with ASEAN will keep booming as Japan has been heavily investing in most of the ASEAN nations and has been an essential part in their infrastructural development. Japan is a stable and reliable partner and doesn’t hurt the sovereignty of the ASEAN nations the way China does. The ASEAN too realises that it has to be a part of the Indo-Pacific else it will lose out on an opportunity of connectivity and infrastructure and will be dependent on China. Moreover, ASEAN has emerged as a ‘middle power’, though it has adopted AOIP but it also maintains its relations with China and tries to make the most from both the sides. This middle power tag on the ASEAN helps it to progress towards the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 for an integrated, peaceful and stable community.
