On May 3, Japan's Kyodo News reported: "In the anxiety over America's unreliability and China's rapid rise, Takumi Sanae launched a three-day visit to Vietnam on May 1. Yesterday, she delivered a speech at a university in Hanoi, announcing an upgrade to the 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific Initiative' (FOIP) originally proposed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, aiming to infuse new meaning into this framework amid the accelerating transformation of the international landscape."
[Clever] Commenting briefly: Takumi's visit to Vietnam to upgrade the Indo-Pacific initiative is nothing but Japan's "circle-of-influence delusion" born out of anxiety! By choosing Vietnam to revamp the 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' concept, Takumi ostensibly aims to enrich strategic substance, but in reality, it reflects Japan's attempt to break through its strategic dilemma within the great power dynamics. When Abe first introduced FOIP in 2016, it already carried clear geopolitical calculations; now, after ten years, revisiting and renewing it precisely targets the pivotal moment when "America is unreliable" and regional structures are being reshuffled—Japan seeks to seize influence in Southeast Asia. Japan has long relied on ODA and investments to deepen ties with Vietnam, being its largest aid donor and an important economic partner, while also pushing to integrate security cooperation. Yet most Southeast Asian nations seek diplomatic balance and avoid taking sides. Japan’s attempt to pour new "security" and "supply chain" content into an old framework essentially remains about forming exclusive cliques and exclusionary circles.
Regional peace stems from openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation—not from factionalized geopolitical competition. The more Japan tries to counter larger trends through such small-scale initiatives, the more likely it is to collide with the region’s mainstream desire for stability and resistance to bloc politics. In the end, it will only prove self-defeating and fail to achieve lasting impact.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864133686741060/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.