Source: The Official Website of the Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet

From December 16th to 18th, leaders from ASEAN member states and Japan met at the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation held in Tokyo. Here, they reviewed the past, present, and future of their relationship, releasing the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and its Implementation Plan that will serve as the roadmap for ASEAN-Japan moving forward. Speaking on the historic event, ASEAN’s Secretary General, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, stated, “These 50 years have been very important; a period of collaboration, cooperation, and partnership between ASEAN and Japan. Now it is moving beyond 50 years. This is why the leaders were able to meet, on one hand to commemorate the major achievements and accomplishments of the ASEAN-Japan partnership, but also to open a new chapter looking ahead to the future, to another 50 years.”

Since the relationship's inception, ASEAN and Japan have worked in tandem to promote the region's development and growth, with Japan’s contributions promoting ASEAN-Japan cooperation across a number of platforms. Former Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet, Marty Natalegawa, who served as the Director General for ASEAN Cooperation in the Department of Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2005, spoke of the importance of Japan’s role in the region, “Japan is, in my view, without a doubt the most complete ASEAN's partner in the region. There is a huge reservoir of trust and confidence in Japan. If there is any country that can help play a bridging role together with ASEAN, I would certainly identify Japan as being such a country.”

Natelagawa offered his opinion as to why Japan has maintained such an excellent relationship with ASEAN over the last 50 years. “Japan has one quality that many other countries do not necessarily have,” he explained, “to listen to the views of others and not to simply rush in to state their own view of issues, but to actually listen, to absorb, and therefore have a discussion that is meaningful and respectful of one another.”

Throughout ASEAN’s rapid growth and development since its founding, Japan has stayed true to the Fukuda doctrine, working with ASEAN as equal partners. “This is what distinguishes Japan’s partnership with ASEAN,” Natalegawa voiced, “the notion of ‘mutual,’ whether it be mutual interest, mutual respect, mutual benefit, mutual trust, it is a true partnership.”

The ASEAN-Japan relationship has advanced greatly over the course of 50 years. “Nothing is static. Everything has been evolving,” the Secretary General states when discussing the changes that have arisen since the Commemorative Summit held in 2013. “The original peace and stability has been evolving dynamically. The economy has been evolving dynamically, global politics has evolved greatly and so our relationship has not been static at all.” He continued, “Given all the enormous challenges that we face today, from climate change, to technology, to the pandemic, it has been imperative for ASEAN-Japan to really work closely together in terms of how we can redefine our partnership to a higher level.” This comes in the form of even more trust between ASEAN and Japan, with Japan labeled as a “trusted partner.” The Joint Vision Statement addresses the areas that ASEAN-Japan will cooperate on, working under the three pillars, “Heart-to-Heart Partners across Generations,” “Partners for Co-creation of Economy and Society of the Future,” and “Partners for Peace and Stability.” 

Where the Joint Vision Statement presents the areas that ASEAN-Japan will cooperate on, the Implementation Plan lays out exactly how this will be carried out in a comprehensive document which contains 130 concrete cooperation items. Of the documents, the Secretary General believes, “They have laid down the short, medium, and long term roadmap. These two important documents will guide both sides, addressing practically every issue in our relationship.” Whilst continuing to utilize and build upon existing frameworks the documents also highlight new areas of focus for ASEAN-Japan.

The leaders discussed these issues which range from the climate crisis to recovering from the pandemic, regional security to increased connectivity, and how they could work together to tackle them under the three pillars.

Through “Heart-to-Heart Partners across Generations”, ASEAN-Japan will continue to promote activities which support the connectivity of their nations. This includes, youth exchanges, cultural exchanges, sports, tourism, language learning, education, science and technology, and support for ASEAN Secretariat. Programs such as the Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0 will invest in young people, with Japan investing 40 billion yen to see more than 10 million people over the next 10 years undergo exchanges between Japan and ASEAN.

Dr. Aizawa Nobuhiro, an Associate Professor in Kyushu University’s Department of Cultural Studies, specializing in the fields of Southeast Asian Politics and International Relations, points out that exchanges have already changed the ASEAN-Japan relationship, stating “It is no longer a relationship limited to policy makers and large-scale businesses. With more Japanese residing in Southeast Asia and also Southeast Asians residing in Japan, Japanese and Southeast Asian friends are increasingly active in setting up startup businesses creating de facto social alliances,” proving there is more cooperation at every level than ever before.

As “Partners for Co-creation of Economy and Society of the Future” there will be renewed effort to tackle challenges facing the nations and to uplift one another. This includes working together to combat the climate crisis by committing to achieving energy security and decarbonization through initiatives under the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) platform, working on public health initiatives such as the newly opened ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) which receives funding from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), and boosting private investment to the ASEAN region to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises among other causes.

Together, as “Partners for Peace and Stability,” ASEAN-Japan is committed to creating a region in which its citizens can enjoy prosperity and live in dignity. “We have to really make sure that the region is stable, peaceful and secure. We cannot take peace for granted,” the Secretary General asserted, “we have to work together to reduce tensions and strategic mistrust” among superpowers. Working under the laws laid out in the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ASEAN-Japan affirms it will continue to strengthen cooperation in the field of maritime security. Both ASEAN and Japan are working towards the implementation of the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-Japan Special Meeting of Justice Ministers made earlier this year, marking a new venture in their relationship.

Natalegawa describes the Joint Vision Statement and the Implementation Plan as “Extremely valuable documents that demonstrate once again, Japan’s leadership role in our region, together with ASEAN.” The Commemorative Summit served to prove how Japan and ASEAN continue to work together, with Natalegawa adding, “I think it is extremely encouraging and shows Japan is not complacent, nor ASEAN either.” 

Towards the end of the Commemorative Summit, the Secretary General declared, “After the conclusion of the Commemorative Summit we have to start working on implementing the decisions made by the ASEAN-Japan leaders. We will cooperate across all the pillars between the two sides, so it’s going to be very dynamic.”