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AN ENDURING LEGACY!!!

July 23, 2022 | Expert Insights

Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister, was shot on 8th July during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. He was rushed to the hospital, but shortly before 6 pm in Tokyo, he was reported to have died.

Background

Abe, who served as prime minister from 2012 to 2020, had the longest tenure of any since 1945. He wanted Japan to assume a more significant position in the world and to become more involved in its own defence. He was most vocal in demanding a closure to the pacifist country Japan had been moulded into by the Americans after its crushing defeat and occupation

 by the allied forces. He was a visionary who recognised the threats raising their heads in the Indo-Pacific;- a rapidly growing China, a belligerent North Korea under an unstable tyrant, a hostile Russia that had never forgiven the small island nation for its naval defeats at the beginning of the 20th century. In a changing world, it was clear that the security guarantees afforded by the U.S. were no longer infallible.

He argued that Japan "must take responsibility for peace and stability" and break with the mindset of seeing an ideal world.

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Analysis

Amongst the long chain of Japanese leaders who have led this energetic nation, Abe stands out as an example of a statesman of global standing and significance.

He was at the forefront in the compilation of major free trade agreements and creating rules for data governance. Under his watch, Japan was not a mere spectator but a mover of international agreements and protocols.

While Beijing has always loomed large in Japanese strategic calculus, Abe ensured that there was credible movement in preparing for the potential strategic imbalances that may arise out of Chinese belligerence. Whether it was in ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea or contesting the ever-increasing Chinese claims over contested waters, he was instrumental in developing a grand strategy to handle the shifting political values, ideologies, and power dynamics.

India started featuring in Abe’s strategic coordinates. The rise of India commanded space in key policy documents, white papers, and bluebooks. Japan chose internal and external balancing as Abe re-evaluated Japan's strategic options amid China-US tensions on the international stage and Japan-China unrest in the area. India's ability to be a useful partner in the Asia-Pacific region has been a recurring issue since the mid-2000s,

As a fellow democracy, Abe acknowledged India as a counterweight to future Chinese hegemony. He said, "Including a democratic India in the future of Asia was not only good geopolitics, but it was also good geo-economics, as India's population and democratic system balanced out China's equally large population and authoritarian system." During his premiership, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which had its roots in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief efforts, began to grow into a substantial forum. In his famous 2007 ‘Confluence of Two Seas’ speech delivered to Indian parliamentarians, he spoke of how Japanese diplomacy was promoting various concepts in a host of different areas so that a region called "the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity" would be formed along the outer rim of the Eurasian continent and the global strategic partnership of Japan and India was pivotal for such pursuits to be successful.

Under Prime Minister Abe, India's development was analysed as a significant variable in Japan's first National Security Strategy enunciated in 2013. In addition to Japan's longstanding security treaty ally, the United States, it promoted the development of multidimensional strategic, defence, and security cooperation with nations like Australia, India, and ASEAN.

Abe was not just interested in high-level diplomacy but also in reaping substantial rewards. He was a supporter of Modi's vision for the country, which included Japan providing huge investment, development assistance, and innovative infrastructure across all of India, including its strategically important north-eastern regions. The Indian Bullet Train, Bangalore Metro and many other landmark infrastructural assets were created during his long and fruitful tenure.

Abe's enthusiasm and originality will be sorely missed in India especially.

Assessment

  • Under Shinzo Abe, Japan's focus was on moving the nation forward from its current state. His wisdom and tenacity to put the country first will be missed.
  • He was a true friend of India and believed that with Japan and India coming together, this 'broader Asia' would evolve into an immense network spanning the entirety of the Pacific Ocean, incorporating the USA and Australia.