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Japan, ASEAN reaffirm security, economic partnership
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands on Dec. 17, 2023, at their Joint Chairpersons' Press Announcement after the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit Meeting in Tokyo. (AFP/Eugene Hoshiko/Pool)
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s Japan intensified its efforts to sway ASEAN toward its regional interests over the weekend, group chair Indonesia underlined that a partnership based on mutual trust, a “habit of dialogue” and lawfulness were key to a long-term partnership.
In a joint briefing, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Sunday said that maintaining a stable Indo-Pacific with ASEAN was at the basis of their “trusted partnership”, while Southeast Asian leaders welcome an upcoming talk between some rivals in the region.
The three-day ASEAN-Japan Summit, which Jokowi cochaired, notably focused on security cooperation and peace, a priority analysts have previously expected amid Tokyo’s attempt to grapple with Beijing’s rapid rise.
Southeast Asian countries have in recent years been put into the precarious position of having to balance themselves amid a superpower competition. As a united front, ASEAN has repeatedly called out the toxic rivalry and has insisted on being a non-proxy. The bloc has also attempted to establish its centrality in the region through the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, a cooperation strategy with peace and prosperity at its heart.
Japan, which has been involved in a military alliance with the United States to counter China’s presence in the region, has previously caused some anxiety among ASEAN members fearing escalations. With the unabating tension sparked by the rivalry, a joint statement was produced on Sunday, defining a long-term, intergenerational bond between ASEAN and Japan focused on peace and stability.
“We affirm the shared view to promote a rules-based Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, embraces key principles such as ASEAN’ unity [...] guided by the shared fundamental principles as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the TAC [Treaty of Amity and Cooperation],” the joint statement said.
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