The Japan-Australia contribution to a liberal and inclusive regional order: beyond the ‘China gap’

ABSTRACT

This article discusses how Japan and Australia could contribute to a liberal and inclusive order in the Asia-Pacific region. Critics argue that closer ties between Japan and Australia could undermine the stability of regional security, dividing Asia into ‘mutually hostile armed blocs’ consisting of US allies and China. Contrary to such a view, this article argues that deepening and enhancing Japan–Australia security cooperation could, if carefully managed, help to maintain an inclusive regional order based on institutions, norms and values, as well as a stable balance of power relations. In particular, the article contends that Japan and Australia can contribute to regional order by strengthening their ‘middle-power cooperation’ through regional capacity-building, institution-building, rule-making or norm-setting, and coalition-building, while supporting the US military presence in the region. It then concludes that, despite differing attitudes towards Beijing, Tokyo and Canberra can further contribute to the longevity of the current regional order by inclusive institutional architecture and liberal norms and values.

KEYWORDS:

• Asia-Pacific security
• Australia
• Japan
• middle-power cooperation

Acknowledgment

This paper was presented at the Fourth Australia-Japan Annual Dialogue, Tokyo, November 2014 hosted by the Griffith Asia Institute with the generous support of the Australian Government through the Australia-Japan Foundation.

Disclaimer

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of any institutions within which the author is associated.

Notes on contributor

Tomohiko Satake is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Studies Department of the National Institute for Defense Studies, Tokyo, Japan, and currently a Visiting Fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.