Leaders join hands at the ASEAN-Japan Summit in Vientiane on October 10. (courtesy of the ASEAN website)
Shigeru Ishiba regards countries in the ASEAN bloc as "trusted partners" of Japan.
His visit to a summit in Laos provided an important opportunity to emphasize Japan's huge investment in the Southeast Asian region.
The Prime Minister said Japan is well-placed to assist with decarbonization efforts without stifling economic growth.
He also said that Japan will seek to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN states on maritime security, economic security, and cybersecurity.
Warm Response
His proposals elicited warm responses. He sidestepped controversy by avoiding potentially divisive issues, such as his idea of Asia having its own version of NATO.
Views on Japan vary among ASEAN member countries. This is unsurprising, given their divergent positions on many issues, including foreign policy. And historically, Southeast nations that were scarred by war have been wary of military partnerships.
The region's leaders nevertheless all agree to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in partnership with Japan, which is an official development partner for the ASEAN bloc. There is also widespread support for Japan's vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, based upon the rule of law.
The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, is a particularly enthusiastic advocate of cooperation with Japan. He is also an outspoken critic of China. Mr Marcos used the Laos conference to accuse China's Coast Guard of harassment and intimidation towards his country.
"It is regrettable that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense and unchanged," he said during the meeting in Laos.
President Marcos encouraged his fellow ASEAN leaders to take a firm stance against Chinese aggression.
China's Position
Xi Jinping chose not to attend the Laos meeting. Instead, he remained in Beijing, hosting a rival event, the "China International Friendship Conference." It rolled out the red carpet for people from around the world who are supportive of the Chinese Communist Party.
It therefore fell to Premier Li Qiang to explain China's position to the delegates in Vientiane. In the face of criticism of his government, he blamed "external forces" for interfering in regional affairs.
China's ability to wield influence in Southeast Asia has diminished because of a slowdown in its economy. Spiraling costs have led China to reconsider the effectiveness of its controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Economists warn that the BRI creates debt problems for some nations, including those in Southeast Asia, and undermines their sovereignty.
First Encounters
The first meeting between Prime Minister Ishiba and the Chinese Premier Li appeared frosty. Mr Li said he hoped that Japan and China could "meet each other halfway and keep the relationship on the right track."
The conference in Vientiane also enabled Mr Ishiba to hold his first official summit with South Korea's president, Yoon Suk-yeol. Furthermore, Mr Ishiba is keen to build on the rapprochement between South Korea and Japan. This flourished during the early part of the term of Japan's previous prime minister, Fumio Kishida. However, recent progress has been slow.
Mr Ishiba told Mr Yoon that he would like to continue to develop relations further.
Most South Korean media have expressed a positive view of Mr Ishiba. Reporters have further noted an "anti-[Shinzo] Abe" passage he included in his recent book. Some view the passage as acknowledging the suffering Korean people experienced during the colonial period.
Mr Ishiba wrote: "Without recognizing how deeply the 'annexation' - which stripped the country of its culture, language, public systems and even its military - has wounded the national pride and identity of its people, true trust between Japan and South Korea cannot be established."
The Quad in Asia
Secretary of State Antony Blinken represented the United States at the meeting in Laos.
America remains keen to enhance its relationship with Southeast Asian nations. However, the ASEAN bloc is not easy to deal with. President Joe Biden, like his predecessor, Donald Trump, prefers to work through the Quad, a group comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese held a brief formal meeting with Mr Ishiba in Laos.
And an encounter between Mr Ishiba and the Indian leader Narendra Modi may prove to be especially significant. The two leaders stated that Japan and India are "natural partners", that share basic values such as democracy, and will continue to work closely together for peace and stability in the international community.
Under the auspices of their Special Strategic and Global Partnership, Japan and India will further develop ties in the areas of defense and security. They will also support each other's economies.
Synergy in Japan-India Relations
K Yhome is a Fellow at the Shillong-based think tank Asian Confluence as well as an expert on issues related to the Indo-Pacific. He says the arrival of Japan's new prime minister bodes well for India.
"Ishiba has a strong sense of strengthening security in the region," Yhome told ETV Bharat. "We need to assess that with what is happening in the region – China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and North Korea's nuclear and ballistic ambitions."
He pointed out that India too has its own challenges with China. "That will be an area where India-Japan relations will get more synergy," Mr Yhome said. "There will be a continuity of our bilateral relations."
During his meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Laos, Mr Ishiba encouraged the Indian leader to come to Tokyo soon.
However, to ensure that he is entitled to host such an esteemed guest, Mr Ishiba will need to lead his party, the LDP, to victory in the national election for Japan's Lower House of Parliament, which takes place on October 27.
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Author: Duncan Bartlett, Diplomatic Correspondent
Mr Bartlett is the Diplomatic Correspondent for JAPAN Forward and a Research Associate at the SOAS China Institute. Read his other articles and essays.
