Recent developments indicate that the pro-China lobby has turned weak within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The changed internal party dynamics is likely to immensely help Prime Minister Fumio Kishida carry forward his defence and foreign policy agenda.
The Indo-Pacific construct has significantly enhanced the strategic salience of both India and Australia in a multipolar region. While the two nations have considerably deepened their strategic partnership, there is scope for much more improvement in several sectors.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio gave a resolute call for pursuing “realism diplomacy for a new era” in his Diet deliberations. How strategically innovative and politically effective will it prove in pursuing Tokyo’s national interests in the US–China–Japan calculus?
By making the emerging technology one of the cornerstones of the grouping, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) has shown its resilience to stay relevant in the fast-changing strategic environment of the Indo-Pacific.
Abhay Kumar Singh replies: AUKUS commitment to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy has unarguably been the most eye-catching provision in the announcement of an enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). Notwithstanding significant international attention, this announcement about the nuclear submarine deal remains devoid of key details.
It may seem premature to discuss the advent of an illiberal global order, however, the numerous catalytic events of recent years and the apparent decline of American heft in shaping global norms and structures might indicate that the international system is on the cusp of a major transformation.
The drawbacks of over-reliance on China as a single manufacturing source has led to countries adopting “China Plus One” strategy to diversify supply networks. Whether Supply Chain Resilience Initiative by India-Japan-Australia can assist in partial decoupling from China is yet to be seen.
Prashant Kumar Singh replies: The origin and nature of the three organisations are fundamentally different. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal bodies of the UN that was created in 1945 with a mandate for global peace, stability, development and cooperation. The UN has global commitments with the participation of countries at a global level. The UNSC is its principal agency mandated with responsibility towards international security affairs.
Considering that the US, Japan, Australia and India are committed to working for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, it is time for India’s strategic partners to review their cartographic positions on India’s borders.
Japan: Kishida’s Balancing Act and Road Ahead
Recent developments indicate that the pro-China lobby has turned weak within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The changed internal party dynamics is likely to immensely help Prime Minister Fumio Kishida carry forward his defence and foreign policy agenda.