On March 20, 2023, during his two day visit to India, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered his significant speech at the event hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs of India in New Delhi. The speech was titled The Future of the Indo-Pacific: Japan’s New Plan for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”- “Together with India, as an Indispensable Partner”.
The speech was particularly significant from the strategic perspective, since New Delhi is where the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, had delivered his much acclaimed speech titled ‘Confluence of Two Seas’’. Speaking in the Indian Parliament, PM Abe had spoken of the “dynamic coupling of the Indian and the Pacific Ocean, as seas of freedom and of prosperity”,[1] which sort of marked the evolution of the Indo-Pacific, as a new geo-strategic and geo-economic construct. PM Abe had also highlighted shared interest of the two maritime democracies. Sixteen years later, once again PM Kishida chose to speak in New Delhi, to announce Japan’s reinvigorated approach towards the already established Japanese vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. In his speech PM Kishida also highlighted, that India is the place where Japan’s FOIP came into being.
The speech had a special emphasis on the significance of Japan’s partnership with India in the present century. Referring to India as “an indispensable partner” for Japan’s FOIP strategy, Japanese PM reiterated the “remarkable rise of India” and “unique position of the two countries in the current international relations”.[2]
The current dynamic geopolitical situation in the world, in the words of PM Kishida is experiencing “paradigm shifts” with developments like the COVID-19 pandemic and now the Ukraine war. He also emphasised on increasing the importance and voice of the Global South in the international affairs. With this backdrop, the PM announced Japan’s new FOIP, which aims at expanding cooperation with partners in newer areas.
The FOIP is no longer restricted to focus on strategic issues, the new strategy aims to broaden cooperation in areas like climate and environment, global health, connectivity and cyberspace. He mentioned that Japan’s vision of the FOIP is aimed towards an international order where “diverse nations co-exist without falling into geopolitical competition”.[3]
A number of newer areas that came out in the PM’s speech were highlighted as he spoke about “four pillars of cooperation for the FOIP”,[4] in Japan’s new reinvigorated FOIP.
Referring to the likeminded partners in pursuance of the overall FOIP, PM Kishida specifically mentioned about India as a crucial partner and strengthening coordination with the United States, Australia, the ROK, Canada, Europe and elsewhere. At the same time he also mentioned that building a shared vision with other countries in the other regions including in ASEAN, the Pacific Island countries, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, is also crucial.
He also spoke about the Japan’s aim to enhance its diplomatic outreach particularly in the field of development cooperation. PM Kishida announced that Japan plans to revise its Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) guidelines for next 10 years with an aim to expand the existing ODA efforts to facilitate cooperation on the FOIP with regional partners. Japan will also focus on mobilising private capital, with an aim to raise US $75 billion in public and private funds, by 2030, mainly to support infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific region.
From India’s perspective, PM Kishida’s speech is much welcomed, calling for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” region, which is in convergence of India’s own vision of a "free, open, inclusive and ruled based Indo-Pacific region”.[6] Presently, given their vital strategic and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific, both India and Japan have a shared interest in maintaining a rule based order in the region.
The concluding portion of the PM’s speech focused especially on the shared values of the two countries. PM Kishida highlighted the significance of India-Japan partnership and their values of cooperation and dialogue in the present international context. In his new plan of FOIP, he emphasised on crucial role of Japan’s partnership with India, in pursuing the objectives of FOIP. Japan is an important partner for India bilaterally and also through multilateral platforms like Quad. This year, Japan holds the G7 Presidency and India holds the G20 Presidency, this as PM Narendra Modi said, at the Joint Press Meeting with PM Kishida on 20 March 2023, “is the perfect opportunity” for two countries “to work together on our respective priorities and interests”.[7] PM Kishsida also mentioned that Japan will cooperate fully with India for the success of G20 and invited PM Modi to attend the G7 Leader’s summit scheduled to be held in Hiroshima in May 2023.
The ‘special strategic and global partnership’ between the two Indo-Pacific democracies has grown significantly in recent years, with special focus on maritime cooperation and with converging geo-economic and geo-strategic interests of the two countries. Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy (FOIPS) and India’s Act East Policy have played a significant role in bringing the two countries closer than ever. For India, the region is also a theater of opportunity which allows it to leverage its regional partnerships to help build economic capabilities and improve maritime security, connectivity, and promote sustainable development and collective security. As India seeks to collaborate with like-minded countries in the region in all these areas, Japan will be a crucial partner. Japan already, is a key partner in India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), focusing on its connectivity pillar.
The “four pillars” of new FOIP announced by PM Kishida, resonates very much with India’s own IPOI, announced by PM Modi in 2019, with a focus on “seven pillars” aimed towards a sustainable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.[8]
Therefore, PM Kishida’s “Future of the Indo-Pacific” speech reiterates Japan’s free and open Indo-Pacific approach with a re-energised focus on practical cooperation in newer areas like climate, energy, health, sustainability and such other related areas. It provides much needed reinvigoration to Japan’s existing strategy in the region, in the light of current international situation.
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*Dr. Pragya Pandey, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.
[1] Confluence of the Two Seas", Speech by H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan at the Parliament of the Republic of India, 22 August 2007, https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/pmv0708/speech-2.html
[2] Fumio Kishida, Japanese Prime Minister speech at SSB, New Delhi, 20 March 2023, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/100477791.pdf
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] PM’s Keynote Address at Shangri La Dialogue, 1 June 2018, https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pms-keynote-address-at-shangri-la-dialogue/
[7] English translation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Press Statement at the Joint Press Meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan , 20 March 2023, https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/36378/English_translation_of_Prime_Minister_Shri_Narendra_Modis_Press_Statement_at_the_Joint_Press_Meeting_with_the_Prime_Minister_of_Japan
[8] Indo-Pacific Division Briefs, Ministry of External Affairs chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Indo_Feb_07_2020.pdf