Shinzo Abe — 9DASHLINE

Is the South Korea-Japan-US summit a breakthrough?

Written by Abhishek Sharma

The trilateral summit is a stepping stone towards countering the DPRK and strengthening regional security; however, its success will only be judged in the face of changing politics in the respective capitals.

'Thawing' between Seoul and Tokyo — A false spring?

Written by Kevin Gray

The apparent ‘thaw’ of Korea-Japan relations is likely to be a ‘false spring’ rather than a genuine new era of bilateral relations and broader regional cooperation.

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2023: Where is Japan headed under Kishida?

9DASHLINE invited a select group of experts to assess how the Kishida administration’s policies on domestic, international, economic, and security issues will differ from the Abe administration.

Pacific9DLJanuary 20, 20239dashline, 2023: Where is Japan under Kishida headed?, DR JAMES D. BROWN, James DJ Brown, DR EVA PEJSOVA, EVA PEJSOVA, DR ELLI-KATHARINA POHLKAMP, ELLI-KATHARINA POHLKAMP, DR STEPHEN NAGY, Stephen Nagy, Japan, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Abe, Shinzo Abe, Abe administration, approval ratings, Kishida administration, Abenomics, stimulatory economic policy, Japanese military, scandals, nepotism, free-market, new capitalism, security reforms, defence spending, strike missiles, public mood, dovish approach, foreign affairs, security affairs, Russia-Ukraine war, China’s expansionism, China, rules-based international order, US allies, security ties, deterrence, defence budget, nuclear non-proliferation, Taiwan, hostile security environment, geopolitical shocks, party politics, defence posture, Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, Chinese market, Unification Church investigations, National Security Strategy, G7 presidency, UN Security Council non-permanent seat, Tokyo, Sino-US rivalry, Yoshida Doctrine, US-Japan alliance, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, CPTPP, Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA, Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision, FOIP, strategic imperatives, domestic reform

Best of 2022: Russia’s War and the International Order

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year took the international community by surprise and raised concerns about the precedent this might set especially for China’s policy vis-à-vis Taiwan. The differing responses from countries, particularly established and rising powers, were also scrutinised, and implications were drawn for global governance and the international order.

Faultlines9DLJanuary 4, 2023Russia, Ukraine, The day the music stopped, Jana C. von Dessien, University of St Gallen, Taiwan, Putin, Liberalism from below: The Global South, Indrajit Roy, UN, United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, Liberal International Order, The rationale behind Beijing’s position on the war in Ukraine, Wang Li, University of Aberdeen, China, Beijing, China's Endorsement of Russia's Assault: Implications for Europe and Asia, Justyna Sczudlik, propaganda, Moscow, Lithuania, Europe, Alignment without alliance: China’s growing ambivalence to Putin’s war, Lunting Wu, Kamil Matusiewicz, Nonalignment’s long shadow: India and the Ukraine crisis, ROHAN MUKHERJEE, India, indo-pacific, multipolar order, New Delhi, Japan-Russia: The end of delusions, CÉLINE PAJON, Shinzo Abe, Nicholas Ross Smith, Ukraine — A wakeup call for the United States, Ian Hall, Why India won’t break from Russia… yet

How and why Japan can be an alternative to China in the Indo-Pacific

Written by Kyoko Hatakeyama

Moreover, since Japan has maintained a stable relationship with China — despite their territorial disputes — the region does not have to worry about backlash or anger from China just because they choose Japan over China.

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Japan’s ‘history problem’ lingers on after Abe

Written by Chris Deacon

Almost eight decades after the end of the Second World War, the legacy of Japan’s military expansionism and colonial rule across the Pacific continues to haunt its contemporary international politics, particularly within Northeast Asia.

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Japan-Russia relations: Stronger stance needed on energy imports

Written by James DJ Brown

The Kishida administration’s record since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is impressive, especially compared to Abe’s pandering to Putin. Yet Japan needs to go one step further by rapidly cutting imports of Russian gas.

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Seoul cannot have a credible Indo-Pacific strategy without Taiwan

Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and Tereza Novotna

Much of this is also about how far Seoul will be prepared to join many of its partners in working with Taiwan. In other words, if South Korea wants to play a bigger role in the Indo-Pacific, it is high time that Seoul joins the ‘Taiwan club’.

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Architect of the Indo-Pacific: How will Abe's legacy continue?

Written by Perle Petit

Time will tell which aspects of Shinzo Abe’s legacy will live on most faithfully and whether the role of Japan as a buffer between competing global forces in the region will continue.

The upper house elections and Japanese defence spending

Written by Felix Kuhn

Over the coming months in Japan, discussions over the level of defence spending, what the money will be spent on, and where it will come from, will become more heated. The Japanese government will have to provide clearer answers and allow for some compromises to retain broad support among policymakers and keep the majority of the public on board.

Japan-Russia: The end of delusions

Written by Céline Pajon

Faced with the paralysis of the UN Security Council (UNSC), for instance, Tokyo condemned Russian actions and called for reform of this body. As part of this reform, the number of UNSC permanent members would increase, with a seat for Japan.

Japan’s strategic policies under the current global order

Written by Elli Pohlkamp

This behaviour of inactivity and standing on the sidelines has changed now, driven by the concern that one day Japan might need help from its Western alliance partners should the security situation around Japan change.

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2022: The Quad, AUKUS and the future Indo-Pacific

The reinvigoration of the Quad and the announcement of the AUKUS last year have been a subject of much consternation and debate. While they signal renewed diplomatic energy on Washington’s part, questions remain whether these initiatives will translate to meaningful policy and if they will promote or hinder a coherent Indo-Pacific strategy.

The Russian military build-up on Japan’s northern frontier

Written by James DJ Brown

Tokyo has little option but to stand firm, enhance cooperation with democratic partners, especially the United States, and demonstrate that Japan, while not acting aggressively, is closely monitoring Russian activities in its vicinity and is fully capable of defending its waters and airspace.

Taiwan in Japan’s security puzzle: Abe’s 'uncontroversial' Taiwan statement

Written by Stephen Nagy

This approach suggests that Tokyo and strong advocates of explicitly articulating Taiwan’s importance to Japan’s security (such as Abe) will see policy towards Taiwan and China through the lens of Japan’s economic security concerns.

Breaking the deadlock: The Japan-South Korea ‘comfort women’ dispute

Written by Wichuta Teeratanabodee

Events, such as the ROK reversing its decision to end the military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan due to threats from the North, have shown that the two countries can put aside their bitter relations to focus on regional threats.

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Japan-Australia security ties deepen: A response to China?

Written by Kyoko Hatakeyama

A more active and sustained defence partnership between Tokyo and Canberra could serve to supplement Washington’s commitments and military burdens across the Indo-Pacific region.

Washington and Tokyo’s old alliance for a new era: Changing strategic priorities and expectations

Written by Monika Chansoria

Any potential reconsideration on the Okinawa bases will likely have a cascading effect on the US-Japan alliance and Tokyo’s national security strategy at large. After all, Okinawa is not merely a peripheral Japanese prefecture, but the lynchpin of American and Japanese strategic positioning in the East China Sea.