Event Report: Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Anatomy of Japan's Geostrategy
On September 15th, 2025, the Centre for the Study of Global Japan was joined by Ken Jimbo, Professor of International Relations at Keio University and former Special Advisor to the Japan Ministry of Defense (2020). Drawing on his expertise in Japanese foreign policy and U.S.-Japan security relations, the event explored the development and strategic significance of Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision. This event was moderated by Phillip Lipscy, Director of CSGJ and Richard Charles Lee Director of the Asian Institute.
Dr. Jimbo began by explaining the rise of the Indo-Pacific as a strategic concept in international security. He traced the historical evolution of regional conceptions of Asia, from the Asia-Pacific in the 1980s, to East Asia in the 1990s, and now the Indo-Pacific. Jimbo noted how the FOIP strategy was launched under former Prime Minister Abe in 2016 as a response to China’s expanding regional influence with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Abe’s speech at the 2016 Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD6) articulated the Indo-Pacific as a “union of two free oceans and two continents”, connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans with the Eurasian and African continents to promote stability and prosperity.
Subsequently, Jimbo argued that the resilience of FOIP stems from two key elements. First, FOIP is presented without explicit Japanese ownership, allowing other states to adapt the framework according to their interests. This flexibility has encouraged others like Canada, the United States, India, and ASEAN to develop their own Indo-Pacific strategies. Moreover, FOIP is framed with inclusivity, avoiding exclusions based on ideology, development, or regime type. This enables a broad range of partners to participate in the framework.
Jimbo then addressed the strategic significance of FOIP in the current regional environment, describing the Indo-Pacific as a region of both opportunity and challenge. While growing markets signal opportunities for economic engagement, Japan also faces intensifying security threats from China, North Korea and Russia. In response, Jimbo argued that Japan has pursued a dual-track strategy toward China involving competition and cooperation. Related to security, the 2022 National Security Strategy underlines Japan’s commitment to double its defense budget to 2% of GDP by 2027 and strengthen “deterrence by denial” capabilities. In the economic domain, Japan’s Economic Security Promotion law has sought to diversify supply chains and safeguard infrastructure while also promoting infrastructure investment initiatives with partners across the region. Notably, Jimbo mentioned that Japan does not seek to decouple from China, given their significant trade interdependence.
In the context of these threats, Jimbo reaffirmed that the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance remains an essential component of regional stability. He characterised the relationship as increasingly transactional, requiring continued contributions by Japan to sustain strong U.S. involvement. Jimbo also highlighted Japan’s shift towards minilateralism, such as the U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral dialogue and Quad defense partnership with Australia and India, as mechanisms to further reinforce deterrence and coordination in the Indo-Pacific. Finally, Jimbo noted former Prime Minister Kishida’s New Plan for FOIP, which was announced in 2023. He characterised it as “bazaar diplomacy”, which proposed 51 cooperation items for partners to pick and choose from. This, Jimbo concluded, exemplifies Japan’s efforts to make FOIP a truly global and inclusive framework for promoting stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
After the presentation, there was an enthusiastic question-and-answer session moderated by Dr. Lipscy with members of the audience. Questions covered recent domestic political shifts in Japan, consequences of the Trump administration, and the future of the U.S.-Japan security alliance. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Ken Jimbo for his insightful presentation and the audience for their continued engagement.
