NEWS & EVENTS

US strategic approaches in Southeast Asia

On March 3, Former Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Indonesia Masafumi Ishii joined SAIS and the Reischauer Center to present his views on the Japanese and US strategic approaches in Southeast Asia.

Ambassador Ishii emphasized that Japan’s main strategy in the region is to achieve a peaceful and equal co-existence with China. To achieve this objective, Japan must play a bigger role its alliance with the US, and shore up its own capabilities and relations with like-minded Southeast Asian countries. Ambassador Ishii pointed out that a Taiwan contingency would have no winners, and that Japan must reinforce its defense capabilities, maintain clear communication channels with Beijing, and understand the distinct roles that each country in the region would have during such a crisis. Ambassador Ishii concluded that Japan and US will have a better chance to deter a Taiwan contingency together.