Satoshi Morimoto (JP/Dian Septiari)Former Japanese defense minister Satoshi Morimoto was in Jakarta last week to promote his country’s Free and Open Indo Pacific (FOIP) concept across the region. The Jakarta Post’s Dian Septiari sat down with him on Friday to discuss the issue and other regional affairs. Question: This year ASEAN adopted its own Indo-Pacific Outlook, which does not exclude China from the regional concept. How does Japan see this?Answer: I think the direction ASEAN has taken is right and is the best it can take because it means that countries sharing the same values can work together in various fields. So if China can agree to the concept, it is expected to participate in or follow the strategy.However, when China ignores the arbitral tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea and continues to build and militarize small islands there, and thus threaten other countries...