ASEAN-Japan Security Cooperation: Specific Focus on Vietnam and Indonesia Cases

Abstract

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has emerged as a significant, successful regional organization that aims to promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia since its formation on August 8, 1967 (Mahiwo, 2013). After the ASEAN Charter was adopted in 2007, "One Vision, One Identity, One Community" became the organization's official motto. This study examines the cases of Japan-Vietnam and Japan-Indonesia cooperation within the context of ASEAN’s security cooperation for the purpose of illustration.

From the 1950s through the 1980s, Southeast Asians worried that Japan was attempting to dominate the region and saw Japan's defense capabilities as a sign of the resurgence of militarism. However, the majority of ASEAN countries today appear to support Japan's contributions to regional and global security. As a result, enhancing their strategic and security cooperation with Japan in the new period will be extremely beneficial to both the ASEAN and Japan (ASEAN Secretariat, 2019). Japan is particularly interested in enhancing security cooperation with ASEAN, and its strategy is multi-layered and multi-dimensional, with its bilateral and multilateral engagements increasingly diversified.

The overseeing of security cooperation between its members and with outside major powers, especially Japan, is the responsibility of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Japan is stepping up security cooperation with ASEAN and member countries to counter China’s behaviour. The literature on Japan and ASEAN also provides credence to the notion that Japan is becoming recognized for its objectives by other nations through cooperation with regional organizations and bilateral relations. It is further supported by original source documents from ASEAN, ASEAN forums, Indonesia, and Vietnam, all of which identify North Korean missile and nuclear activity as a source of instability in the region. This study emphasizes that due to the changing international balance of power, enhancing ASEAN-Japan collective security cooperation will safeguard their mutual benefits. Also, this study proposes that Japan is an ideal candidate for ASEAN to strengthen its security cooperation. Thus, it is essential to understand how Vietnam and Indonesia strengthen their security collaboration with Japan. This study attempts to find answers to three questions that are viewed from a qualitative perspective. How do Vietnam and Indonesia cooperate with Japan with respect to security matters? What, if any, factors shape the security mechanisms between Vietnam and Indonesia, and Japan? How may security cooperation between Vietnam and Indonesia, on the one hand, and Japan, on the other hand, be enhanced?

The subject position in this study is qualitative in nature. This study collects and analyzes non-numerical data, including text, video, or audio, in order to better comprehend the research topic. As a result, the study utilizes qualitative and comparative analysis methodologies. These techniques enable us to identify specific characteristics by comparing similar and dissimilar features. The study collects data via desk review.

The finding of this study is that security cooperation with Japan significantly enhances the security and economic growth of Indonesia and Vietnam and will also result in enhanced security and economic growth for the ASEAN member states.