Japan is one of the few Asian governments to issue a public statement of concern about the recent confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo published a five-point statement on Monday that fully backed Manila’s right to conduct resupply missions near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.
But unlike more pointed statements from the U.S. and European Union, the Foreign Ministry did not specifically call out China by name but clearly referred to Beijing when it said “Japan opposes unlawful maritime claims, militarization, coercive activities, and threat or use of force in the South China Sea.”
Neither the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nor any of its ten member states have commented publicly about last Saturday’s incident.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Many smaller Asian countries, particularly less developed states in Southeast Asia, likely feel that Japan’s economic heft gives it the luxury of taking a side on this issue. But for the rest of the region, which depends heavily on Chinese trade and investment, the risk of angering China could provoke costly retaliation that they clearly prefer to avoid.
SUGGESTED READING:
- Nikkei Asia: ASEAN’s silence amid South China Sea confrontation is deafening by Richard Heydarian
- Asia Times: ASEAN stands idly by, as usual, on South China Sea by Dennis Roy
