Chapter 2
Resilient and Unwavering Regional Diplomacy
Section 2 Asia and Oceania
1 Overview
(General Overview)
The Asia-Oceania region includes numerous emerging countries with remarkable growth. It is a dynamic region where diverse cultures and races intermingle and influence each other. This region, with an abundance of human resources, drives the world economy and has been increasing its presence. Of the world population of 8.0 billion, approximately 3.7 billion live in East Asia Summit (EAS) participating countries1 excluding the U.S. and Russia. This represents about 47% of the world's population.2 Their combined nominal gross domestic product (GDP) is 32.8 trillion U.S. dollars (2022), and accounts for more than 30% of the world total.3
Furthermore, the region enjoys close economic relations and sees growing interdependence. Further economic growth is expected, and the strong growth within the region will also bring affluence and vitality to Japan.
Meanwhile, the security environment in the Asia-Oceania region is becoming increasingly severe as seen in the following developments: the nuclear and missile development by North Korea; the strengthening and modernization of military forces in a manner that lacks transparency and attempts to change the status quo in the region by force that goes against the rule of law and openness; and tension among the relevant countries and regions growing over the maritime issues. Other factors hindering the stable growth of the region include economic and financial systems still under development, environmental pollution, unstable demand and supply of food and resources, frequent natural disasters, terrorism, and aging populations.
Within this context, Japan has been actively engaging in diplomacy including at the leaders' and foreign ministers' levels, and is maintaining and developing good relations with neighboring countries. In 2023, Prime Minister Kishida visited India, the G20 Presidency, in March and held a Japan-India Summit Meeting, and in May he visited both Singapore and the Republic of Korea (ROK) and held Summit Meetings with each country. At the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May, Prime Minister Kishida held bilateral meetings with the leaders of India, Indonesia, the Cook Islands, the ROK, Australia, Viet Nam, as well as an exchange of views among Japan-U.S.-ROK Leaders and a Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Leaders' Meeting. When Prime Minister Kishida visited Lithuania to attend the NATO Summit Meeting in July, he held a Japan-Australia-New Zealand-ROK Leaders' Meeting, and also held bilateral meetings with the leaders of the ROK, New Zealand, and other countries. In August, he visited the U.S. and held the first-ever stand-alone Japan-U.S.-ROK Summit Meeting.
In September, Prime Minister Kishida visited Indonesia and India to attend the ASEAN-related Summit Meetings and the G20 New Delhi Summit. In Indonesia, in addition to holding Summit Meetings with Southeast Asian countries and the Cook Islands, he also attended the ASEAN-Japan Summit, the ASEAN Plus Three (Japan-China-ROK) Summit, and the East Asia Summit (EAS), where he confirmed the further strengthening of Japan-ASEAN relations, which marked the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. Prime Minister Kishida also deepened discussions on urgent issues facing the region and the international community, including Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and the situation in North Korea, and confirmed that Japan's will to strengthen cooperation with the relevant countries. In India, he held Summit Meetings with the leaders of India, Australia, the ROK, and other countries. In November, he visited the Philippines and Malaysia, held bilateral meetings with the leaders of both countries, and was the first Japanese Prime Minister to deliver a speech to a joint session of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. Furthermore, in November Prime Minister Kishida also visited the U.S. to attend the APEC Leaders' Meeting, held a Japan-China Summit Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, held Summit Meetings with Thailand, the ROK, Australia, and other countries, and held an Informal Talk among Japan-U.S.-ROK leaders. In December, Prime Minister Kishida hosted the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in Tokyo, and, after reviewing ASEAN-Japan relations over the past half-century, the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, which outlines a new vision for cooperation, and its concrete cooperation Implementation Plan were adopted.
When Foreign Minister Hayashi visited Germany in February, he attended a Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and in March, he visited India, where he held a Japan-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting and a Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Furthermore, in March he also visited the Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands and held Foreign Ministers' Meetings with both countries. In April, Foreign Minister Hayashi visited China and paid a courtesy call to State Council Premier Li Qiang, had a meeting and dinner with Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Wang Yi, and held a Japan-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Working Lunch with State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang.
In July, Foreign Minister Hayashi attended the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings held in Indonesia and had meaningful discussions on a wide range of topics, from specific cooperation in the region centered around ASEAN, to the regional situation. He also held Foreign Ministers' Meetings with several Southeast Asian countries, the ROK, and Bangladesh, met with Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Wang Yi, and attended a Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting and a Japan-U.S.-Philippines Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Furthermore, at the end of July, he visited India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, and held Foreign Ministers' Meetings with each country.
When Foreign Minister Kamikawa visited the U.S. in September to participate in the UN General Assembly High-level Week, she held bilateral Foreign Ministers' Meetings with Indonesia, Australia, the ROK, India, and other countries, and attended a Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, a Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers' Informal Talk, and a Japan-U.S.-Philippines Foreign Ministers' Meeting. In October, Foreign Minister Kamikawa visited Brunei, Viet Nam, Laos, and Thailand, and, when she visited the U.S. to attend the APEC Ministerial Meeting in November, she held bilateral Foreign Ministers' Meetings with the ROK, the Philippines, and other countries, as well as a Japan-U.S.-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting. She also visited the ROK in November to attend the Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting, it being the first face-to-face meeting in four years, and to hold ministerial meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin of the ROK and with Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China, respectively.
Japan is strengthening various cooperation in the Asia-Oceania region and will continue to make meaningful use of various cooperative frameworks.
1 ASEAN (member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam), Japan, China, the ROK, India, Australia, and New Zealand)
2 Source: United Nations Population Fund
3 Source: World Bank
(Japan-U.S. Alliance and Indo-Pacific region)
The Japan-U.S. Alliance, with the Japan-U.S. security arrangements as its core, is the foundation of peace, security, and prosperity, not only for Japan but also for the Indo-Pacific region. In the midst of an increasingly severe regional security environment, the importance of the Japan-U.S. Alliance has never been greater. Under the unprecedentedly strong cooperative relationship between Japan and the U.S., since the inauguration of President Biden in January 2021, Japan and the U.S. have held 19 Summit Meetings and 32 Foreign Ministers' Meetings, including telephone calls (as of December 2023). The two countries have been striving to maintain peace and stability in the region and the international community by constantly communicating and collaborating at all levels, including at the summit level and at the foreign minister level. Both Japan and the U.S. are promoting cooperation toward realizing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP),” and are also deepening their cooperation to address regional issues, including the situations with China, North Korea, with Russia and Ukraine, and with Israel and Palestine.
In January, the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (Japan-U.S. “2+2”) was held in Washington, D.C. in-person for the first time in two years, and both Japan and the U.S. firmly reiterated their commitment to champion a free and open Indo-Pacific region. In January, Prime Minister Kishida, who was visiting Washington, D.C., held a Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting with President Biden. Prime Minister Kishida stated that he will strengthen efforts to realize FOIP, and in response, President Biden reiterated the unwavering U.S. commitment to the region. Based on this, the two leaders concurred that Japan and the U.S. will continue to promote endeavors to realize FOIP. The Joint Statement of the United States and Japan, which was issued as a result of the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting, states that their cooperation today is unprecedented, rooted in a shared vision of FOIP and a peaceful and prosperous world, and guided by their shared values and principles, including the rule of law.
At the Japan-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in March, the two ministers confirmed that Japan and the U.S. will remain united and continue to drive efforts toward the realization of FOIP by leveraging cooperation of the G7 and Japan-U.S.-Australia-India (Quad), while building on the outcomes of the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting, the Japan-U.S. “2+2” in January, and other efforts.
At the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting held during the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May, Prime Minister Kishida stated that the Japan-U.S. Alliance is the cornerstone of the peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and that the multilayered cooperation between Japan and the U.S. extends to all fields and is not limited to just security and the economy. In response, President Biden stated that Japan and the U.S. share fundamental values, and that the Alliance is stronger than ever. Furthermore, at the Japan-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting that was also held during the G7 Hiroshima Summit, the two ministers confirmed that the Japan-U.S. relationship, with the Japan-U.S. Alliance at its core and which serves as the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, has never been stronger, and confirmed that they would continue to cooperate in a variety of fields.
In November, at the APEC Ministerial Meeting in San Francisco, a ministerial meeting of the Japan-U.S. Economic Policy Consultative Committee (the Economic “2+2”) was held, with the two sides discussing two topics: (1) strengthening the rules-based economic order in the Indo-Pacific region, and (2) strengthening economic resilience as well as promoting and protecting critical and emerging technologies. At the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting that followed, Prime Minister Kishida and President Biden held a Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting, during which Prime Minister Kishida stated that the coordination between Japan and the U.S. is becoming more important than ever with the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the challenges of the Indo-Pacific region including China and North Korea. In response, President Biden stated that the importance of the Japan-U.S. Alliance is higher than ever, and that he would like to further strengthen the coordination between Japan and the U.S.
(Japan's Efforts on the Issue of Comfort Women)
(See 3(2)B(C) regarding the comfort women issue between Japan and the ROK.)
The Government of Japan has sincerely dealt with the issues of reparations, property and claims pertaining to the World War II, including the comfort women issue, under the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which the Government of Japan concluded with 45 countries, including the U.S., the UK and France, and through other bilateral treaties, agreements and instruments. These issues including those of claims of individuals have already been legally settled with the parties to these treaties, agreements, and instruments.
On this basis, the Government of Japan has actively taken measures to recover the honor of former comfort women and to provide remedies for them. In 1995, the Asian Women's Fund (AWF) was established with the cooperation of the people and the Government of Japan for the purpose of carrying out atonement and remedy projects for former comfort women. The Government of Japan provided a total of 4.8 billion Japanese yen. Furthermore, approximately 600 million Japanese yen was donated to the AWF by the people of Japan. The Government of Japan extended maximum cooperation to the AWF, which implemented medical and welfare support projects and provided “atonement money,” to offer realistic relief to former comfort women. As part of the AWF's projects, “atonement money” (2 million Japanese yen per person), which was funded by donations from Japanese people, was provided to 285 former comfort women (211 in the Philippines, 61 in the ROK, 13 in Taiwan). Moreover, the AWF provided funds in those countries/areas for medical and welfare support funded with contributions by the Government of Japan (3 million Japanese yen per person in the ROK and Taiwan, 1.2 million Japanese yen per person in the Philippines) (for a total of 5 million Japanese yen per person in the ROK and Taiwan, 3.2 million Japanese yen per person in the Philippines). Furthermore, using funds contributed by the Government of Japan, the AWF extended support for projects to promote social welfare services for elderly people in Indonesia as well as projects to help improve the living conditions of former comfort women in the Netherlands.
When the “atonement money” as well as the medical and welfare support were provided to individual former comfort women, then-Prime Ministers (namely, Prime Ministers HASHIMOTO Ryutaro, OBUCHI Keizo, MORI Yoshiro and KOIZUMI Junichiro) sent signed letters expressing their apology and remorse directly to each former comfort woman.
As stated in the Statement by the Prime Minister issued in 2015, Japan will engrave in its heart the past, when the dignity and honor of many women were severely injured during wars in the 20th century. Japan will lead the world in making the 21st century an era in which women's human rights are not infringed upon.
Despite such sincere efforts by the Government of Japan, there are claims that can hardly be regarded to be based on historical facts, such as allegations of “forceful taking away” of comfort women and “sex slaves” as well as the figures such as “200,000 persons” or “several hundred thousands” for the total number of comfort women.
The Government of Japan's position regarding these claims is as follows:
“Forceful taking away”
The “forceful taking away” of comfort women by the Japanese military and government authorities could not be confirmed in any of the documents that the Government of Japan was able to identify.
“Sex slaves”
The expression of “sex slaves” contradicts the facts and should not be used. This point was confirmed with the ROK on the occasion of the Japan-ROK Agreement in December 2015 and the expression “sex slaves” is not used in the agreement.
Figures such as “200,000 persons” for the total number of comfort women
The figure “200,000 persons” lacks concrete evidence. As stated in the report of the Government study's result of August 4, 1993, it is virtually impossible to determine the total number of comfort women as no documents have been found which either indicate the total number or give sufficient ground to establish an estimate.
The Government of Japan has been making efforts to provide clear explanations regarding its sincere efforts and official position in international fora. Specifically, at the United Nations (UN), the Government of Japan has explained its position on a number of occasions such as during the consideration of the Seventh and Eighth Periodic Reports by the Government of Japan based on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in February 2016, the Ninth Periodic Report on the Implementation of the CEDAW submitted in September 2021, and the examination of the Seventh Report of Japan under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in October 2022.
Installations of comfort woman statues4 have been observed not only in the ROK but also in some other countries and regions. Such moves are extremely regrettable and incompatible with the position of the Government of Japan. The Government of Japan will continue reaching out to various people involved in this issue to explain its position.
The below Ministry of Foreign Affairs website details Japan's Efforts on the Issue of Comfort Women.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/postwar/page22e_000883.html
4 For the sake of practical convenience, they are referred to as “comfort woman statues.” However, the use of this term is not a reflection of the recognition that these statues correctly embody the reality of those women at that time.