Japan’s Strategic Messaging for a ‘Free and Open International Order (FOIO)’: Can It Preserve its Indo-Pacific Achievements?
Kei Hakata, Teruaki Aizawa and Brendon J. Cannon
The “free and open international order (jiyū de hirakareta kokusai chitsujo) based on the rule of law,” or “FOIO,” is emblematic of Japan’s overriding ideal as pursued across multiple administrations. Introduced in early 2017 following the better-known “free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP),” it became Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s major diplomatic message in 2023. Underpinned by the rule of law among nations, the FOIO represents the latest evolution in Japan’s attempt to preserve the existing international order amid the growing challenges posed by China and other authoritarian states.
Focusing on this policy trend, this paper presents the first in-depth analysis of Japan’s evolving strategic messaging from FOIP to FOIO. Importantly, it discusses the challenges and potential benefits of this shift, and emphasizes the need for Japan to balance its promotion of the FOIO without undermining the strategic value of the FOIP and its laser focus on security and stability.
Related Publications
-
Needed, a Framework to Protect Undersea Cables
In the data-driven world we live in, submarine cables are the arteries that connect nation-states and their people in literally every human activity, including trade, commerce, entertainment, and social interactions. […]
-
India-Japan-Philippines: A Strategic Maritime Trilateral or More?
Regional states like India, Japan, and the Philippines have been seeking cooperative solutions with other middle powers that can both counter the Chinese influence and fulfill other economic as well […]
-
The Limitations of India and Russia’s Transactional Relationship
Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it might seem as though ties between India and Russia have strengthened. While much of the West isolated Russia, India-Russia energy […]
-
IN DEFENSE OF THE LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER
In recent years, the geopolitical fight for global economic, diplomatic, and institutional control has acutely intensified, accentuating the crisis in the existing post-World War II Liberal International Order (LIO), championed […]
-
ISDP Annual Report 2023
ISDP’s Annual Report for the year 2023. We look back on 2023, a year in which tensions and conflicts captured the strategic space in ISDP’s focus areas, making headlines around […]