What alternatives can the rules-based international order offer Southeast Asia and who can serve as a counter hedge vis-à-vis China in the region? And in an era of great power competition, what actions should Southeast Asian countries take to avoid a crisis? By examining Japan’s role in Southeast Asia in this research, we have ascertained the implications of the queries. Our report also has implications for the EU, which aims to strengthen its relationship with ASEAN according to its Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Our research group - comprising leading experts from Japan and five ASEAN countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand – conducted case studies focusing on Japan’s role in Southeast Asia and the region’s changing strategic and economic dynamics due to US-China contestation. Our report includes the analysis of Japan-ASEAN relations from Japan’s perspective, which summarizes the Japan-ASEAN relationship and analyses the options Japan can offer to ASEAN under the US-China bipolar world. The report concludes with policy implications for European and German policymakers and experts.
This study is a joint project between the KAS office in Hanoi/Vietnam and Koki Shigenoi, Research Associate at the Asia-Pacific Department at KAS headquarters in Berlin/Germany.