While the U.S. has taken a hard line on China in what some have called a new Cold War, we believe that it is not realistic for the U.S. to pursue a China containment policy reminiscent of the Cold War era. Different ideas are therefore needed. Japan, for its part, has put forth its vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) 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 pragmatic and effective strategies proposed by security and economic experts from Japan and the U.S. in order to maintain the stability and economic prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region while inducing China to comply with the international rules-based order. In concrete terms, based on the results of the research to date, a study group of Japanese and American researchers will meet to develop actionable, thought-provoking recommendations based on thorough discussions in both the U.S. and Japan.