Written by Florentine Koppenborg
There is a striking disconnect between Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on the one hand and the energy strategy adopted to achieve them. An important step would be to reduce Japan’s reliance on coal, the single biggest cause of climate change.
Read MoreWritten by Phan Xuan Dung and Wichuta Teeratanabodee
Japan’s AstraZeneca provision stood out compared to China, thanks to its perceived better quality. In addition, China’s soft power has been seriously undermined by an assertion of hard power in territorial disputes and coercive diplomacy against states that refuse to toe its line.
Read MoreWritten 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.
Read MoreWritten by Felix Kuhn
Pragmatism served Abe well, making it possible to steady Japan’s relationship with China while building up a coalition of partners in the region. Suga has so far shown no inclination to depart from Abe’s footsteps. But it is not yet clear whether Abe’s policy is sustainable over the long term.
Read MoreWritten by William Choong
While there have been negotiations for a formal Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, ASEAN has found no solution to Chinese assertiveness. This is where the four Quad navies can bring power and presence to bear.
Read MoreWritten by Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp
As a middle power, Japan has the potential to enhance its role. In maintaining its partnerships with the United States and in balancing its deep economic ties with China it can lay the course and mediate in policies that concern itself, the United States and others in Southeast Asia.
Read MoreWritten by John Bradford
Even as some regional states will increasingly welcome Japanese military contributions, Suga will emphasise economic assistance and capacity-building projects. When it comes to Southeast Asian maritime security, we can expect a greater presence from Japan.
Read MoreWritten by Felix Kuhn
A policy that will find much greater favour among LDP hardliners is Suga’s promise in his election pamphlet to revise the constitution, which would include a clear statement on Japan’s right to hold military forces. This has long been a dream of more right-wing politicians.
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