Celebrating 50 years of Japan-ASEAN ties-Look Back to Look Forward

Conversely, Japan considers that a more integrated ASEAN functioning as a hub of regional cooperation is important for the stability and prosperity of both Japan and ASEAN and further all of East Asia, therefore, actively supports ASEAN’s efforts to enhance its connectivity. In this light, in the span of these five decades, ASEAN and Japan have built a cooperative relationship for peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the Asian region and have fostered closer relationships as business partners [3].

Fukuda Doctrine:

Until the end of the 1960s, Japan's relations with Southeast Asia evolved within the framework established by the Yoshida Doctrine. These included, firstly, reliance on the alliance with the United States of America to ensure Japan's security following the 1954 Mutual Defense Assistance Treaty; secondly, emphasis on economic relations and finally a low profile in international politics. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, this strategy for Southeast Asia had reached its limits. The Ministerial Conference for the Economic Development of Southeast Asia, held for the first time in Tokyo in 1966, revealed that the region's governments were hesitant to allow Japan to play a prominent role in the Southeast Asian region. Additionally, the Vietnam War and the reconciliation between Washington and Beijing in 1973 altered the geopolitical dynamics of the region. Furthermore, following the 1976 Bali Summit, ASEAN countries grew more self-aware and prepared to play a role in world affairs. As a result, Japan came to the realization that a new strategy was required to cope with the new regional dynamics in the region [4]. This shift in policy came in the form of a monumental speech by Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda during his visit to Southeast Asia in 1977 that over time became popularly known as the Fukuda Doctrine.

The points highlighted during the 1977 speech which were termed the “pillars of Japan’s Southeast Asian policy” by PM Fukuda himself included the following. First and foremost, Japan would be dedicated to ensuring peace through economic strength and will not seek to become a military power. Second, as "an especially close friend" of ASEAN, Japan will assist in efforts to improve that organization's solidarity. Third, Japan would prioritize "heart-to-heart" interactions to strengthen ties as an equal partner not only on the economic front, but also in social, political, and cultural domains. Fourth, Japan will maintain robust commercial and trade links with Southeast Asian countries while also dealing with them in the framework of the global economy. Fifth, Japan will make an effort to build relations with Indochina states based on mutual understanding [5]. The Fukuda Doctrine would later become the foundation of Japan's foreign policy toward ASEAN and would become the first country to convene a joint summit meeting with ASEAN leaders in the same year the Fukuda Doctrine was established. The following year, in 1978, the Japan-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held, and Japan was the first country to initiate talks to establish a cooperative relationship with ASEAN [6].

Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund:

The Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) was officially established in March 2006 to facilitate the implementation of the ASEAN 2025 blueprints for the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), as well as the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) [7].

JAIF also aims to promote greater cooperation between ASEAN and Japan in accordance with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and has implemented several projects in disaster management, counter-terrorism, maritime cooperation, economic integration, small and medium-sized enterprise development, youth exchanges, Japanese language training, and other areas [8]. PM Kishida presented a new plan for a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" in March, emphasizing the importance of Southeast Asia, and also announced a new $100 million commitment to the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). Furthermore, at the September ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum, PM Kishida further announced the Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Connectivity Initiative, under which Japan intends to broaden the scope of cooperation to strengthen connectivity in a variety of fields, including transport infrastructure development, digital connectivity, maritime cooperation, supply chain resilience, electricity connectivity, and human and knowledge connectivity [9].

Cross-Sectoral Cooperation:

The region has established a multi-layered cooperation framework focused on ASEAN, which includes ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM Plus), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Japan actively supports the EAS in order to increase conversation and collaboration among leaders on political and security matters of strategic importance to the region. Furthermore, it fosters mutual trust through actual cooperation in ADMM Plus and ARF [10]. The Japan-ASEAN security cooperation was the primary point of discussion during the three-day summit meeting from 16-18 December cochaired by Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and Indonesian President Joko Widodo [11]. The meeting was followed by a joint statement mentioning that Japan and ASEAN would work towards greater security cooperation in the future [12].

Over the years, to facilitate an active economic exchange, Japan and the ASEAN Member States have signed bilateral economic partnership agreements and investment treaties, as well as the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement, and have established cooperative relations not only in trade and investment, but also in a variety of other areas such as competition, intellectual property, and people movement. The AJCEP Agreement, in particular, has aided in the strengthening of manufacturing networks throughout the ASEAN region and Japan [13]. After the end of Day 1 of summit meeting on 16th December, officials stated that the leaders will also announce the launch of a new initiative for the next-generation automobile sector aimed at sketching out measures to enable ASEAN to remain the world's hub of auto manufacturing and exports further adding that supporting digital entrepreneurs and increasing public and private investment to achieve decarbonization would be among other new steps to further enhance the economy in the fast-growing region [14].

ASEAN Member States have achieved extraordinary economic growth in recent years, but along with this progress, they have faced several challenges, including climate, urbanization, healthcare, energy issues, and disaster management. On the other hand, Japan has also experienced economic growth while overcoming similar difficulties and is therefore collaborating with ASEAN Member States to assist them in obtaining a higher standard of living [15]. In this light, on the second day of the summit meeting, Filipino President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. made the call for a 10-year roadmap for ensuring food security. President Marcos’ remark came alongside encouraging integration of new agricultural technologies and climate-resilient and sustainable plans for achieving food security [16]. Furthermore, the intervention from President Marcos mentioned “sustainable energy security” as a “twin priority of clean energy” and encouraged joint cooperative ventures for carbon emission reduction, enhancing and promoting renewable energy, and sustainability practices indicating that Japan has consolidated itself as a major role player in the development and economic efforts in the region [17].

The Way Forward:

The nature of Japan-ASEAN ties has come a long way in these 50 years, with Japan initially being primarily a provider of economic assistance, investments, and regional production networks in the past to being widely viewed as a crucial partner in bolstering regional security, particularly as several Southeast Asian states are entangled in maritime and territorial conflicts with China [18]. In this current understanding, Japan seeks to further deepen these cooperative ties with a comprehensive People-to-People exchange program called “Partnership to Co-Create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0” aimed at building a robust trust-based relationship to enhance its human networks and address contemporary as well as future challenges and further nurture a multicultural society [19]. Furthermore, the mutual understanding of pursuing greater security and economic cooperation in the future indicates both ASEAN members and Japan are wary of contemporary geopolitical dynamics in the Asia-Pacific. In this light, both the ASEAN member states as well as Japan would favor comprehensive and strategic ties in the long run that would complement multiple sectors and would also diversify regional partners for ASEAN as well.

Endnotes:

1.     About the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, https://aseanjapan50.jp/en/about/

2.     Japan and ASEAN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100489370.pdf

3.     About the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, https://aseanjapan50.jp/en/about/

4.     Emilio de Miguel, Japan and Southeast Asia: From the Fukuda Doctrine to Abe’s Five Principles, UNISCI Discussion Papers No. 32, 2013 https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/767/76727454005.pdf

5.     Toru Yano, The “Fukuda Doctrine” and Its Implications for Southeast Asia (1978), Cambridge Core, 29 May 2019 https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/turning-points-and-transitions/fukuda-doctrine-and-its-implications-for-southeast-asia-1978/B640350A38C9356DB4032EFC65412A2C

6.     Fukuda Doctrine, ASJA International https://asja.gr.jp/en/asja/fukuda.html

7.     Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) Contributions to the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP), Association of Southeast Asian Nations https://jaif.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Final-e-pamphlet-ASEAN-JAPAN-50th-Brochure-FA-digital.pdf

8.     Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) Contributions to the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP), Association of Southeast Asian Nations https://jaif.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Final-e-pamphlet-ASEAN-JAPAN-50th-Brochure-FA-digital.pdf

9.     A Golden Friendship, Golden Opportunities: The Future of Japan and ASEAN, Government of Japan, 2 December 2023 https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2023/11/future_of_japan_and_asean.html

10. Japan and ASEAN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100489370.pdf

11. Akira Kitado, Japan and ASEAN deepen ties as security, economic challenges mount, Nikkei Asia, 16 December 2023 https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Japan-and-ASEAN-deepen-ties-as-security-economic-challenges-mount

12. Japan, Asean to advance ‘security cooperation’, Phillipine Daily Inquirer, 17 December 2023 https://globalnation.inquirer.net/224441/japan-asean-to-advance-security-cooperation

13. Japan and ASEAN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100489370.pdf

14. Keita Nakamura, Japan, ASEAN vow to widen cooperation as they mark 50 years of ties, Kyodo News, 17 December 2023 https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/12/f1d44823c854-japan-asean-to-vow-to-widen-cooperative-fields-as-ties-mark-50-years.html

15. Japan and ASEAN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100489370.pdf

16. PH calls on ASEAN-Japan to come up 10-year Roadmap on new technologies and climate-resilient plans to ensure food security, Government of Philippines, 17 December 2023 https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/ph-calls-on-asean-japan-to-come-up-10-year-roadmap-on-new-technologies-and-climate-resilient-plans-to-ensure-food-security/

17. Giselle Ombay, Marcos urges ASEAN, Japan to craft 10-year food security roadmap, GMA News, 17 December 2023 https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/content/891613/marcos-urges-asean-japan-to-craft-10-year-roadmap-to-ensure-food-security/story/

18. Gabriel Dominguez, With eye on China, Japan and ASEAN to unveil ‘new vision’ for ties, The Japan Times, 14 December 2023 https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/12/14/japan/politics/japan-asean-summit/

19. Launch of “Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Japan, 17 December 2023 https://www.mofa.go.jp/p_pd/ca_opr/pageite_000001_00061.html

Pic Courtsey-Mike Enerio at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are thooe of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)