論文

As presidency of the G7 Hiroshima 2023 Summit convened in May 2023, Japan was required to address challenges faced by the G7 in 2023. This article focuses on Japan’s relationship with the group of emerging and developing countries called the “Global South.” Although some analysts question the utility of the term, use of it has become mainstream. At the G20 Summit in Delhi held in September 2023, the Global South continued to receive attention. Here and in subsequent meetings, Prime Minister Kishida introduced Japan’s new plan for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” together with political and diplomatic considerations that have been advancing Japan’s policy toward the Global South.

The “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) is the most important feature of Japan’s foreign policy under the Abe Administration. One of the most important questions is whether this vision aims to contain a rapidly rising China. Along with the amelioration of the relationship between Japan and China, this diplomatic strategy has been evolved from the quadrilateral security cooperation among leading democracies in this region, namely the US, Japan, Australia, and India, to a more comprehensive regional cooperation. This article regards the latter diplomatic strategic as the “FOIP 2.0” and that there emerges a possible harmony between Japan’s FOIP and China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

While Prime Minister Nakasone frequently showed his cordial personal friendship with US President Ronald Reagan, he was successful in creating new Japan-Europe relations based on his close ties with European leaders such as UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and French President François Mitterrand. Nakasone felt that the so-called “Yoshida Doctrine” was not enough and focused more on “culture and politics.” This article reveals that this originated in his high school days when he learned French and the importance of the philosophy of liberalism.