NAVIGATING GEOPOLITICAL WATERS
As big power rivalries play out in the Indo Pacific, fostering better regional ties is especially important, Kiya noted.
“ASEAN has managed many big power rivalries for decades. And Japan has always supported ASEAN in maintaining peace and promoting prosperity,” he added.
The ambassador pointed to Japan’s support of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), which highlights centrality as the underlying principle for promoting cooperation in the region.
Japan has said the concept aligns with the nation’s own fundamental principles in embracing peace and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
“The AOIP (takes) the Indo-Pacific region from a place of rivalry to a place of dialogue and cooperation. Japan is fully supporting that initiative, and I believe Japan can be instrumental in making that happen,” Kiya said.
He added Japan has good diplomatic relationships with key players in the region, including the United States and ASEAN members.
On China, Kiya said Tokyo and Beijing share a “mutually beneficial relationship based on a common strategic interest in working to promote constructive and stable (ties)”.
The envoy also stressed that a rules-based international order is beneficial for not just ASEAN and Japan, but also all players in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The key point is for all the countries to abide by international law, and if there are any activities which are against international law, (to) persuade such activities to be stopped. So, in that way, economic activities can benefit the entire region,” he said.
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
As a trade-dependent nation, many of Japan’s firms are deeply invested in and reliant on China and the US.
US President Donald Trump, who returned to office a month ago, has imposed a series of higher tariffs on imports to the world’s largest economy, which could hit Japan’s exports and threaten to hurt its already sluggish economy.
Kiya said it is premature to react and risk inflaming trade tensions, and that Japan is observing developments and will respond appropriately.
He added Japan is working on stronger cooperation with regional economies, particularly in the areas of digitalisation, decarbonisation, and energy security.
The envoy cited ASEAN’s Blue Economy Innovation project, launched last year in partnership with Japan and the United Nations Development Programme, as one such key collaboration.
The initiative aims to drive solutions in climate change issues, marine plastics pollution, sustainable fisheries, and eco-friendly tourism.
Last week, 60 winners of the project’s challenge on innovative solutions to advance the blue economy pitched their ideas to investors, including Japanese companies. They were selected from 1,300 applications from across ASEAN and Timor-Leste.
”I’m very much hoping that those innovations will be fully supported by many Japanese (firms) and the private sector, so that their ideas addressing those challenges will be scaled up for the benefit of ASEAN, Japan, the region and the world,” said Kiya.
He also pointed to the upcoming World Expo 2025 as another opportunity for exposure and collaboration between members of the bloc and Japan.
Taking place from April to October in Osaka, Japan’s second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo, the event brings stakeholders together to discuss solutions to pressing global challenges.
ASEAN will be participating in the expo with its own pavilion centred around the theme “building bridges” that will showcase the regional grouping’s success stories and joint initiatives.
Several member states including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore have also set up their individual pavilions at the expo.
