Amid a growing number of security challenges, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlined his vision for a more secure Indo-Pacific region in a keynote speech Friday night to kick off this year’s IISS Shangri-la Dialogue — a major international security summit — in Singapore.
Speaking before defense ministers and senior officials from 42 countries, Kishida divided his approach into five main pillars. These include maintaining the rules-based international order, enhancing national defense capabilities and regional security cooperation, promoting a world without nuclear weapons, reforming the U.N. Security Council, and strengthening international cooperation in new areas such as economic security.
“With the very foundations of the international order being shaken by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the international community now stands at a historic crossroads,” said Kishida, adding that no country or region in the world “can shrug this off as someone else’s problem.”
“I myself have a strong sense that Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” he warned, while stressing the need for closer collaboration to maintain a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region and oppose unilateral changes to the status quo by force, no matter where they occur.
The prime minister indicated that issues such the invasion of Ukraine, Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the East and South China Seas and North Korea’s military provocations are related to confidence being shaken in the rules that govern international relations.
“Rules must be respected … and if one wants to change then a consensus is required,” Kishida said, noting that Japan will be “more proactive than ever” in tackling these crises and promoting a rules-based international order.
Kishida’s concerns are also related to China’s rapid military buildup and its actions near democratic Taiwan, as Beijing intensifies aerial and naval exercises around the self-ruled island. China, which continues to rapidly modernize the People’s Liberation Army and enhance its amphibious assault capabilities, has repeatedly vowed to reunite Taiwan with the mainland, by force if necessary.
Kishida, who became the first Japanese prime minister to attend the three-day security summit since Shinzo Abe in 2014, also announced a security assistance plan for Indo-Pacific countries that would see Tokyo provide $2 billion in maritime security assistance over the next three years — including patrol boats and maritime transport infrastructure — while investing in the necessary human resources, such as training and education.
Japan will also continue sharing technical knowledge and experience as part of cooperation initiatives with at least 20 countries in the region aimed at enforcing maritime law enforcement capabilities, he said. Tokyo will also try to reach defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore.
Meanwhile, Kishida, whose administration is preparing to draft a new national security policy, reiterated Tokyo’s plans to boost defense spending and continue bolstering the country’s military capabilities.
“I will seek to build a stable international order through dialogue, not confrontation. At the same time, however, we must be prepared for the emergence of an entity that tramples the peace and security of other countries by force of threat, without honoring the rules. As a means of preventing such situations and protecting ourselves, we need to enhance our deterrence and response,” said Kishida, who described his plans as “absolutely essential” if Japan is to survive in the new era.
“I am determined to fundamentally reinforce Japan’s capabilities within the next five years and secure a substantial increase of Japan’s defense budget,” he said. In doing so, “we will not rule out any options, including so-called counterstrike capabilities.”
At the same time, Kishida sought to promote international understanding for the planned defense hike and to reassure neighboring countries of Tokyo’s intentions. “To all of you, I stress that Japan’s posture as a peace-loving nation will remain unchanged,” he said. “Our efforts will proceed within the scope of Japan’s Constitution and in compliance with international law.”
Regarding China’s expansion of its nuclear weapons capabilities, Pyongyang’s growing nuclear arsenal and Moscow’s threats to deploy tactical nukes, Kishida called on all nuclear-armed states to disclose information regarding their nuclear forces, adding that his goal is to strengthen the Non-Proliferation Treaty and work toward global nuclear disarmament.
“With the use of nuclear weapons now becoming a real possibility, reminding the world about the scourge and inhumanity of the use of human weapons is vital,” said Kishida. “As the only country to have suffered the devastation of atomic bombings, Japan will seize every opportunity to … convey the stark realities of these bombing to the world.”
The prime minister also called for more collaboration with Southeast Asian countries over the next five years in several new areas, including economic security. For instance, Tokyo is aiming to collaborate with the region on the development and implementation of new supply chains and other trade projects that result in increased economic resilience.
Kishida is expected to meet on Saturday with Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as part of an official welcoming ceremony.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi is set to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday and Sunday, where he is set to take part in a plenary session about managing geopolitical competition in a multipolar region and hold meetings with fellow defense ministers on the sidelines of the event.
U.S. Chinese defense chiefs meet
Kishida’s keynote address, which came amid intensifying geo-strategic competition between the United States and China, has set the stage for two other important speeches to be held at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue: a Saturday speech by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and one on Sunday by Chinese Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe, as the two rivals lay out their visions for regional security.
The two defense ministers met on the sidelines of the event a few hours before Kishida’s speech to discuss bilateral defense relations and regional security issues such as North Korea, Taiwan, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
During this first in-person meeting with Wei, Austin discussed the need to “responsibly manage competition and maintain open lines of communication,” while underscoring the importance of the People’s Liberation Army to engage in substantive dialogue on improving crisis communications and reducing strategic risk, according to a Pentagon press release.
Austin also reiterated that Washington remains committed to the “One China” policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. Austin also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo, and called on China to refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan.
A day earlier, China had heavily criticized the latest round of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, saying that such moves “severely harm China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Beijing’s condemnation followed Austin’s remarks in early June that Washington was willing to expand the provision of weapons and military training for Taiwan in response to China’s growing threat to the island. Moreover, U.S. President Joe Biden vowed last month to intervene militarily to protect the island if it were attacked by China.
Talks on North Korea
Wei also met on Friday with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, with the two sides discussing the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. According to the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Lee called on China to play a constructive role in encouraging North Korean denuclearization, while Wei expressed Beijing’s hopes for cooperation with Seoul in addressing issues related to the Korean Peninsula.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, also known as the Asia Security Summit, returned to Singapore following a two-year hiatus prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s forum marks the 19th iteration of the event.
