Japan – Solidarity among Democrats

Few topics have been the subject of more debates on cooperation among like-minded democracies than Japan’s increasing relevance as a warden of multilateralism in world politics. Current developments concerning the Japanese’s reaction on the Ukraine War however, are only part of the equation. Abe’s multilateral projects, most notably those pursued within the framework of his Free-and-Open Indopacific Vision (FOIP), such as Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), new settings of cultural exchange and trade agreements with Asian partners and defense cooperation with ASEAN-states, constitute a new step in regional rule-based multilateralism in Southeast Asia.

Furthermore, Japan’s attention has not been exclusively attached to Asia, but to Europe as well. The framework of annual EU-Japan Summits enabled Japan to launch several new projects that have been crucial in fostering strong ties with the European Union and its member states. But how can all these developments contribute to a strengthening of cooperation among democracies and democrats? Most recently, the need for more exchange and cooperation among civil societies in democratic and non-democratic states has been revealed by the shortcomings of connectivity among civil societies of major powers in the world, most notably Russia and China. Can Japan and the EU address these issues? To answer these questions, our panel focuses on the outcome of Japan’s aforementioned efforts. We will also assess the prospect of more EU-Japanese cooperation and more connectivity among civil societies. Participants will be able to ask questions via Zoom’s question and answer function during the discussion.

In cooperation with Polis 180. e.V., Junge Europäische Föderalisten Hessen and Europa Union Frankfurt.