Japan will unveil an action plan by next spring to advance a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday as he expressed his firm resolve to defend the rules-based international order amid China's growing clout and Russia's war on Ukraine.
In a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Kishida said he has a strong sense of alarm that "Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow," vowing that Japan will play an even more active role in countering any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, without singling out China.
As the first Japanese leader to address the leading Asian security forum in eight years, Kishida pledged more than $2 billion over three years to help other countries in the region secure patrol vessels and improve infrastructure for maritime transport. He also said Japan will provide training programs on maritime security in over 20 countries.
"Japan will not lose its humility, flexibility in valuing diversity or tolerance that respects the individuality of others," Kishida said. "However, we will be more proactive than ever in tackling the challenges and crises that face Japan, Asia and the world."
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the three-day in-person forum through Sunday for defense officials and experts is taking place at a time when Russia's invasion of Ukraine has heightened concerns about its implications in Asia, where China's military presence is increasingly being felt.
"Rules must be respected. Even if they become inconvenient, one cannot be allowed to act as if they did not exist, nor can one be allowed to change them unilaterally," Kishida said. "If one wants to change them, a new consensus must be made."
The prime minister reiterated that the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait -- an area where tensions escalate with China -- is critical and stressed the importance of Southeast Asian and Pacific island countries as crucial partners in making the region "free and open."
Some ASEAN nations have been embroiled in disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, while Chinese ships have been repeatedly spotted around uninhabited islands, administered by Japan but claimed by China, in the East China Sea.
As the security environment is becoming more severe, Kishida said Japan will "fundamentally" bolster its defense capabilities within the next five years while maintaining its pacifist credo.
He told the forum, organized by Britain's International Institute for Strategic Studies that Japan will secure a substantial increase in its defense spending and strengthen the deterrence and readiness of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Japan is also deepening its security ties with like-minded nations such as Australia and India.
During a question and answer session, Kishida acknowledged that difficulties remain between Japan and China but "stable and constructive" ties are necessary. The premier, who has not held a face-to-face summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office last October, voiced hope for dialogue "at various levels."
Russia's threat to resort to nuclear weapons, North Korea's arms development and a "nontransparent" military buildup around Japan -- an apparent reference to China -- are making the road to a world free of nuclear weapons all the more difficult, Kishida said.
He also used the speech to highlight his push for reform of the U.N. Security Council, noting that permanent member Russia has undermined the global order with its atrocities in Ukraine. Japan is set to become a nonpermanent member next year.
"Will we return to the lawless world where rules are ignored and broken, where unilateral changes to the status quo by force are unchallenged and accepted, and where the strong coerce the weak militarily or economically?" Kishida said. "That is the choice we have to make today."
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