Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida yesterday announced a plan to promote an open and free Indo-Pacific, promising billions of US dollars in investment to help economies across the region in everything from industry to disaster prevention.
The plan, announced in New Delhi, is seen as Tokyo’s bid to forge stronger ties with countries in South and Southeast Asia to counter China’s growing assertiveness there.
Kishida also said Japan wanted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to end as soon as possible and called on the “Global South,” a broad term referring to countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America, to “show solidarity” after his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Photo: AFP / Indian Press Information Bureau
Kishida said there were four “pillars” to Japan’s new Indo-Pacific plan: maintaining peace, dealing with new global issues in cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries, achieving global connectivity through various platforms, and ensuring the safety of the open seas and skies.
Japan pledged US$75 billion to the region by 2030 via private investment and yen loans, and by ramping up aid through official government assistance and grants.
“We plan to expand the cooperation of the free and open Indo-Pacific framework,” Kishida told the Indian Council of World Affairs.
He emphasized the increasing connectivity among countries and promoting freedom of navigation, with an eye on increasing maritime defense and security among like-minded countries.
China has ramped up its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and rapidly modernized its navy while promoting its Belt and Road Initiative.
“The kind of connectivity where you only rely on one country breeds political vulnerability,” Kishida said.
“We aim to increase the number of options each country has so that they can overcome these vulnerabilities and achieve further economic growth through connectivity,” he added.
“We will conduct joint maritime exercises with India and the United States, as well as goodwill exercises with ASEAN and the Pacific islands,” Kishida said.
Japan, India, Australia and the US are members of the so-called Quad group, created to balance China’s growing dominance. The four are to participate in the annual naval wargaming exercise Malabar to be held in Australia this year.
India and Japan have deepened their ties in defense and strategic affairs in the face of a dominant China.
“India is an essential partner when it comes to realizing our free and open Indo-Pacific vision,” Kishida later told reporters when asked why he chose New Delhi to announce his plan.
Modi said that strengthening the India-Japan “partnership is not only important for both our countries, it also promotes peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
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