Trans-Pacific View author Mercy Kuo, who engages experts across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy, discusses Japan's Indo-Pacific strategy and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with Stephen R. Nagy, a senior associate professor in the Department of Politics and International Studies at International Christian University, Tokyo.
Kuo: Explain Japan-U.S. collaboration in developing the Indo-Pacific strategy.
Nagy: Proximity to the region's long-term geopolitical challenge, i.e., China's re-emergence as the largest power in the region, has compelled Japan to take the lead in articulating the necessity for an Indo-Pacific strategy. China's economic weight, assertive behavior and hybrid tactics to achieve its national objectives such as eroding sovereignty claims through "lawfare" has compelled Japan to put forth foundational strategic frameworks such as the "Security Diamond" that has laid the foundation for today's Quad and the emerging Indo-Pacific strategy.