Dr. William Choong, Senior Fellow of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, was invited by the Keizai Koho Center to speak on the above topic to KKC member corporations.

He stated that Japan is the “resident power” in the Indo-Pacific, not the U.S., and pointed out that according to the State of South East Asia Survey 2021, 67.1% of the survey respondents chose Japan as the most trusted power. He also explained that the China-U.S. friction on the South China Sea has led to a growing symbiosis between Japan and ASEAN. Both ASEAN and Japan should adopt similar approaches that are open and inclusionary to China, he said.

He concluded that ASEAN’s expectations towards Japan include partnerships for connectivity and infrastructure, help to get the U.S. back to CPTPP　(Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), support for maritime domain awareness, and a gradual push for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.