“The Changing Strategic Environment in the Indo-Pacific: A Japanese Perspective” Address by Professor Tomohiko Taniguchi, former Special Advisor to late PM Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet

The Delhi Policy Group hosted an address by Dr. Tomohiko Taniguchi, former Special Adviser to late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet, and professor of International Political Economy at Keio University, Tokyo, on “The Changing Strategic Environment in the Indo-Pacific: A Japanese Perspective”, on September 1, 2022.
 
The event was the second organised by DPG to mark the 70^th anniversary of India-Japan relations, and was held in partnership with the Embassy of Japan. It was attended by a cross-section of India’s strategic community, including senior representatives from the security establishment and think tanks.
 
In his address, which was followed by Q&A interaction, Dr. Taniguchi spoke of the special regard late Prime Minister Abe had for India, and described India as Japan’s “ideal partner” in the current geo-strategic environment, which require current and future Japanese leaders to remain invested in enhancing the bilateral relationship. He outlined Japan’s major security challenges, with three adversarial continental neighbours and growing tensions around Taiwan, and the role and evolution of the US-Japan alliance. Finally, he discussed prospects for increased defence expenditure and overcoming the limitations imposed by Article 9 of the Constitution, in the context of prevailing trends in Japanese public opinion.