Why ASEAN is crucial to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Since late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe created the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy in 2016, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been pivotal to connecting the fast-growing Indian Ocean and Pacific regions.
Japan has stepped up engagement with ASEAN for over a decade. Upon taking office for his second term in 2012, Abe made his first official visit to three of the bloc's countries — Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia — declaring that 'Japan will walk alongside ASEAN as an equal partner.' And this position has been kept alive by Abe's successors. In 2023, Kishida referred to Southeast Asian nations as Japan's 'closest and most crucial partners' in the Global South.
The reason behind Tokyo's approach is simple — maintaining the
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