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Reviving Active Diplomacy in 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional international diplomacy while underscoring its importance. Japan is seizing 2023 as an opportunity to rejuvenate a faltering global unity through active diplomacy and shared strategy.

The 2010s represented a marked shift away from the defining liberal globalization of the post-Cold War period. Exemplified by the United Kingdom’s Brexit movement and Former US President Donald Trump’s “America First” rhetoric, democracies observed increased disentanglement from international political and commercial connections, favoring of domestic production and support.

By 2021 however, it was clear to many that no modern economy can function alone, as travel and logistics were disrupted across the globe. The international push for a COVID-19 vaccine further demonstrated the importance of cross-border scientific collaborations and timely exchanges of information.

Now, as borders re-open and international travel normalizes, Japan has leapt to return to an active role promoting its vision for international stability. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has welcomed 2023 with a series of international visits across Europe and North America, following earlier trips to South-East Asia and Australia in late 2022.

Japan has long played a prominent role in providing a stable diplomatic presence in international fora. In addition to hosting the G7 in Hiroshima this May, Japan will be participating in numerous summits around the globe.

In addition to promoting the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, discussions will focus on strengthening the unity of like-minded countries in a time of economic uncertainty. With disruptions to logistics and supply chains as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, multilateral discussions are a clear priority. Key to these discussions so far has been the policy of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific shared by Japan, Australia, India and the US.

Much of Japan’s diplomatic efforts focus on strengthening partnerships in and around the Indo-Pacific. This is paired with a renewed focus on improving Japan’s independent military capabilities.

Japan has made significant progress to both these ends by successfully negotiating Reciprocal Access Agreements with France, Australia and the UK to remove obstacles to participation in joint military exercises. The focus in 2023 will be on promoting the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program.

As the decade moves into another year of uncertainty, it is clear that Japan will continue its long tradition of persistent diplomacy in the name of stability.