Overview

These days, the international community has consistently gone through rapid changes, in conjunction with the center of gravity of global power shifting to the Indo-Pacific region, where Japan is situated.

Many opportunities and benefits are presented worldwide such as economic development, technological innovation, people-to-people exchanges, and the creation of new cultures. At the same time, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the United States and international frameworks including the G7 to manage risks in the international community and to maintain and develop a free and open international order. The United Nations, which should embody the will of the international community at large, has experienced a round of confrontation and thus has not fully lived up to fulfilling its functions. This is largely due to the fact that nations, not sharing universal values, or political and economic systems based on such values in common, are expanding their influences, thereby manifesting risks around the globe. Specifically, some states, which do not exclude the policy of increasing their own national interests at the expense of others, are expanding their influence through both military and non-military means, attempting to unilaterally change the status quo, and accelerating actions to challenge the international order. Such moves have sharpened competition and confrontation among states in wide-ranging areas, including military, diplomatic, economic, and technological fields, and have shaken the foundation of the international order. As a result, the current international security environment has become complex and severe, one where inter-state relations and interests of each and every nation are intertwined with each other in a mosaic-like manner. Japan will implement strategic approaches, harnessing its comprehensive national power including economic, technological and strategic capabilities, as an integrated and efficient means.