The U.S. has taken a hard line on China in what some have called a new Cold War. However, in reality the U.S. does not have the option to decide on a China containment policy of the Cold War era, and it is thus vital to come up with a fresh approach to address the current reality. While both Japan and the U.S. are dependent on the Chinese economy, the two countries also must take action in light of China’s advances to dominate military and information technologies, including 5G, and to contend with China’s continuing disregard for international rules and norms, which not only affects the fundamental value of the Japan–U.S. security alliance but also threatens to undermine regional and global stability. Japan for its part has put forth its vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific as the foundation for the regional order. The U.S. government also appears to be expecting active cooperation from its allies including Japan to counter China’s moves to expand its military, political, and economic influence.

This project aims to formulate a pragmatic and effective strategy prepared by Japanese and U.S. security and economic experts to guide China toward the direction of world order and compliance while maintaining stability and economic prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region.

Tsuneo Watanabe