Study On Japan’s "Free And Open Indo-Pacific Strategy"

Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" is a values-based strategy proposed against the background of the international situation,the regional order and the rapid rise of China,to build a "Quadruple Alliance" between the U.S.,Japan,India and Australia on the basis of the Japan-U.S.alliance,and to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and the EU.The purpose of this strategy is to promote multilateralist diplomacy and to strengthen the cooperation between ASEAN and the EU.The aim is to promote multilateralist diplomacy,using security and economics as pillars to expand relations with countries that share common values and counterbalance the "threat" from China.The main approach is a comprehensive one,combining political,economic,and security areas in a coordinated effort to achieve its interests.Therefore,Japan’s "free and open Indo-Pacific strategy" has become a major strategic issue that has received extensive attention and research from academics.After entering the 21 st century,the international order and the international landscape are undergoing major adjustments,and the world is facing the "unprecedented changes of the century",Japan’s national strategy is once again facing new historical conditions and a new international environment,and needs to make a new choice.Japan’s strategic anxiety is caused by the rapid rise of China and the uncertainty of the U.S.strategy in the Asia-Pacific region,and the change in the contrast of power between China and the U.S.is the core variable of Japan’s proposed "free and open Indo-Pacific strategy" at the systemic level.The existing liberal international order is also on the defensive due to the emergence of internal crises in developed countries and challenges from emerging countries,coupled with the return of geopolitics and the intensification of military competition.At the regional level,as the distribution of international power changes and the center of global strategy shifts eastward,the importance of the "Indo-Pacific" region in Japan’s foreign strategy becomes increasingly prominent,especially with China’s growing economic and political influence in the Indo-Pacific region and the gradual rise of India as a regional power,the economic,political,and even security ties between the two oceans in the Indo-Pacific region are becoming increasingly close.The Indo-Pacific region has become an important geostrategic region with increasingly close economic,political,and even security ties.At the national level,after Abe came to power,Japan’s political situation gradually stabilized and began to formulate a long-term national foreign strategy,of which the rightward political shift and the promotion of democracy in Japan are the fundamental motivation for Japan’s "free and open Indo-Pacific strategy".Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" is a combination of political diplomacy,economics and security in response to a new situation and new landscape.The strategic objectives in the official document are expressed through three main elements-maintaining a "rules-based" international order,safeguarding Japan’s economic interests,and expanding Japan’s scope of activities-which demonstrate a strong goal orientation.Specifically,in the political sphere,Japan is maximizing its national interests by maintaining the existing liberal international order,promoting political great power diplomacy,and responding to geopolitical changes through the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy.In the economic sphere,through the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy," Japan is leading the development of economic rules,actively promoting high-quality infrastructure development,and maintaining its dominant position in the regional economy in order to change the persistent downturn of the Japanese domestic economy.In the security field,Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" will ensure the security of sea lanes,enhance its own security capabilities,and shape the security of its neighborhood.In terms of concrete implementation of the strategy,the dimensions of Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" are mainly explained in three dimensions: bilateral,multilateral,and cross-regional.Each dimension involves three areas: politics,economy,and security.At the bilateral level,the main objective is to further strengthen the Japan-U.S.alliance,to take advantage of the U.S.regional strategic reorientation by using values as a link,to strengthen the alliance with the U.S.,to try to build a values-based alliance around China,and to engage in active diplomacy with China.Japan and the U.S.are trying to take the lead in setting international economic and trade rules through economic and trade agreements and economic frameworks such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP)and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework(IPEF),as well as strengthening cooperation between the two sides in new and cutting-edge science and technology fields.The U.S.,Japan,and India are also working together to prevent the outflow of technology to China.At the multilateral level,the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia Quadrilateral Cooperation(QUAD)is an important platform for implementing Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy.From the " Arc of Freedom and Prosperity " under the first Abe administration,it developed into the " Diamond of Democracy and Security "under the second Abe administration,but due to the weak foundation of multilateral cooperation among the four countries,differences in foreign policy focus,and changes in the domestic political situation of each country,the quadrilateral cooperation was not able to achieve its goals.However,the quadrilateral cooperation was not successfully promoted due to the weak foundation of multilateral cooperation among the four countries,differences in foreign policy focus,and political changes in each country.In 2019,the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia cooperation accelerated.The four countries accelerated cooperation,especially in the economic field,launched a series of new policy initiatives,including the " Blue Dot Network " plan," Indo-Pacific Economic Framework "(IPEF),etc.,to make up for the " Indo-Pacific Strategy " of Japan and the United States The" Indo-Pacific Strategy " has been a shortcoming of the economy,competing with China’s" One Belt,One Road " initiative.In the post-Abe era,Japan is attempting to upgrade the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia security cooperation mechanism as the main vehicle for implementing Abe’s " Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy " and to develop it into a multilateral security cooperation mechanism to contain China,moving in the direction of" quasi-alliance.The "quasi-alliance" direction.At the cross-regional level,we should strengthen diplomatic cooperation among ASEAN,the European Union,and the Indian Ocean littoral countries,increase investment and development in the maritime countries of the Indo-Pacific region,and deepen defense cooperation with major countries in the region and beyond to keep China in check and promote the formation of a favorable order for Japan.The formulation and implementation of Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" are characterized by the unity of values,economic competition,and confrontation on security issues.So far,from the objectives envisioned at the time of the strategy and the actual results,we can see that Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" has achieved certain results in the political,economic,and security aspects.On the political front,the implementation of Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" has provided the Japanese government with an opportunity to participate in Indo-Pacific affairs by strengthening cooperation among major Indo-Pacific countries on the basis of the Japan-U.S.alliance and building a formal or informal alliance system to form an Indo-Pacific political landscape favorable to Japan.On the economic front,Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" has deepened the institutional platform for economic cooperation.Japan has played an active role in setting economic and trade rules,for example,by vigorously promoting infrastructure development and supporting related countries in building high-quality infrastructure,thus expanding its economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region.In terms of security,Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" has,to a certain extent,achieved Japan’s security objectives.It has ensured Japan’s maritime access,enhanced its own security capabilities,and actively shaped the security environment around it.Through the above analysis,looking at the development trend of Japan’s "free and open Indo-Pacific strategy",this paper believes that the convergence of Japan and the United States "Indo-Pacific strategy" policy toward China is obvious,the U.S.-Japan-India-Australiacooperationis developing in a more institutionalized direction,and Japan is accelerating its strategic alignment with European countries.Japan is trying to form a global maritime alliance of values in the direction of more exclusion and containment of China.Finally,based on the objectives,concrete implementation,characteristics,effects and development trends of Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy," the impact of Japan’s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" on China and China’s strategic choices are analyzed.The implementation of Japan’s "free and open Indo-Pacific strategy" has hindered the healthy development of Sino-Japanese relations,obstructed China’s "Belt and Road" construction,and worsened China’s neighboring security environment.China should respond to Japan’s "free and open Indo-Pacific strategy" by committing to dialogue and de-escalation in Sino-Japanese relations,actively promoting economic and trade cooperation,implementing countermeasures,and maintaining security and stability in its neighborhood,so as to effectively safeguard China’s core interests through both cooperation and competition.