Kuala lumpur: Japan acknowledged that ASEAN’s role is essential in maintaining peace and stability in the region as Tokyo reaffirmed its commitment to bolstered cooperation under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) framework.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Press Secretary of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Toshihiro Kitamura, stated that the vision of the AOIP aligns with Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), providing opportunities for enhanced collaboration between the two regions. Kitamura highlighted that both frameworks share key principles such as openness, inclusiveness, transparency, and the rule of law during a press briefing on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
A joint statement adopted by ASEAN leaders and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit outlined commitments by both parties to expand cooperation. This expansion aligns with the AOIP and addresses global challenges beyond the region to promote peace, stability, and prosperity, leveraging the region’s growing presence.
Both parties committed to undertaking substantive, practical, and tangible cooperation through concrete projects under the AOIP’s four priority areas: maritime cooperation, connectivity, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, and economic and other possible areas of cooperation. Kitamura noted that cooperation would extend beyond security to include marine plastic pollution prevention, satellite navigation for connectivity, and infrastructure development.
This marks the second joint statement on the AOIP, following the first in 2020. Kitamura also emphasized Japan’s readiness to support ASEAN’s pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050, considering the region’s rapidly growing and manufacturing-based economies.
Under the ASEAN+3 framework, Japan reaffirmed its commitment to practical cooperation, including rapid emergency financing in times of crisis and food security, particularly the emergency rice reserve. Additionally, Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs from the Prime Minister’s Office, Takahito Misumi, noted Japan’s ongoing efforts to advance economic security cooperation with ASEAN, particularly Malaysia, in sectors such as semiconductors and critical minerals.
The cooperation on rare earths in Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang is identified as a promising sector for both Malaysia and Japan. Japan currently imports 15.5 percent of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Malaysia and is expanding collaboration in hydrogen and ammonia projects, including hydrogen initiatives in Sarawak, ammonia-fired gas power studies, the ASEAN Power Grid, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects with Petronas and Japanese companies such as Mitsubishi.