One pressing issue in Japanese diplomacy and national security is the strategic implementation of the "Proactive Contribution to Peace" being heralded by Shinzo Abe's government. Translated into specifics, this slogan means Japan carrying some of the burden of the public good in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific (with a central focus on Southeast Asia), at a time when the inwardly focused Trump administration is giving cause for concern. It also means establishing a mechanism for maintaining this based on a cooperative framework that includes the United States, Australia, India and ASEAN member states.
By reducing the burden felt by isolationist American voters, the Abe initiative will have the effect of encouraging the sustainable involvement of the U.S. in the region. They will also act as a precautionary measure against the worst-case scenario of the U.S. withdrawing from the Asian region altogether.
We can consider that the Abe administration's diplomatic approach so far has followed a realistic diplomatic course, leaning toward neither extreme of too hawkish or too pacifistic. This approach has been symbolized by the concept of a Proactive Contribution to Peace, defined (as below) in Japan's 2013 National Security Strategy.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.