Blog – Page 2 – Diplomacy & Business

India’s greatest lesson is strategic independence

06

Jul

Opinion

India’s greatest lesson is strategic independence

When Sanae Takaichi chose New Delhi as one of her first major international destinations, the gesture carried far greater significance than it might initially have appeared. Japan is not simply looking for another economic partner or a counterweight to China's rise. It is acknowledging that India has moved beyond the label of an emerging power to become an indispensable actor in any discussion about Asia's future. For decades, the West viewed India largely through the prism of comparison with China. It always seemed one step behind: less developed infrastructure, weaker manufacturing, more bureaucracy, greater poverty. Yet that comparison overlooked a…

06

Jul

By Diplomacy and Business

Editorial

The new axis of Asian stability

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's first official visit to India is far more than another bilateral summit. The agreements signed in New Delhi on defence, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy security and supply chain resilience reflect a profound transformation in the Indo-Pacific. Japan and India are no longer simply strengthening a partnership. They are laying the foundations of what may become one of the defining strategic relationships of the coming decade. For decades, Asia's economic architecture revolved around China. Regional prosperity depended on Beijing's manufacturing capacity, investment and market size. That reality has not disappeared, but it has been fundamentally altered…

03

Jul

By Diplomacy and Business

Opinion

When Japan turns language into a weapon

Urmas Teder, journalist There are restrictive immigration policies. And then there are policies that, under the banner of integration, end up punishing precisely those who have already built their lives in the country. The proposals championed by Kimi Onoda to tighten language requirements for foreign residents are moving uncomfortably close to that line. Learning Japanese is desirable. Few would dispute that. The problem arises when language proficiency becomes a condition for a family to enjoy legal stability. Once the right to permanent residence depends on passing an examination that many elderly people, individuals with cognitive disabilities, or long-term residents may…

Globalization is not ending: it is changing owners

29

Jun

By Josep Solano

Opinion

Globalization is not ending: it is changing owners

For more than three decades, globalization was driven by a simple principle: let markets decide. Governments dismantled trade barriers, outsourced production to wherever costs were lowest and assumed that economic interdependence would, sooner or later, reinforce political stability. Efficiency became the overriding objective, while geopolitics was largely treated as a relic of the twentieth century. That assumption no longer holds. The change has not arrived because globalization failed. On the contrary, it became so successful that it created new forms of vulnerability. The concentration of semiconductor manufacturing, critical minerals, pharmaceutical ingredients or battery materials in a handful of countries has…

29

Jun

By Diplomacy and Business

Editorial

The age of economic security

For more than three decades, the global economy was built on a powerful assumption: that deeper economic integration would naturally foster stability, prosperity and peace. Governments lowered trade barriers, companies fragmented production across continents, and efficiency became the defining principle of globalization. Strategic considerations rarely dictated where to manufacture a semiconductor, refine a critical mineral or assemble an electric vehicle. Markets, rather than geopolitics, were expected to determine those choices. That assumption is no longer sustainable. The COVID-19 pandemic first exposed the fragility of global supply chains. Russia's invasion of Ukraine demonstrated how energy could once again become a geopolitical…

26

Jun

By Diplomacy and Business

Opinion

The problem with rewriting yesterday

Urmas Teder, JournalistFor any democracy to function, citizens must be able to trust that words retain their meaning over time. Politicians are free to defend controversial ideas, challenge historical interpretations and advocate policies that provoke fierce disagreement. What they cannot expect is to escape scrutiny when they attempt to redefine their own past statements once those statements become politically inconvenient. This is why the recent controversy surrounding Sohei Kamiya's comments on Okinawa deserves attention beyond the immediate debate. The issue is not merely what was said about the role of the Imperial Japanese Army. Nor is it a question of…

ASEAN’s balancing act in an increasingly polarised world

22

Jun

By Josep Solano

Opinion

ASEAN’s balancing act in an increasingly polarised world

For more than two centuries, Switzerland symbolised the possibility that neutrality could serve both as a moral principle and as an effective foreign policy. Today, that certainty has faded. The geopolitical consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the intensifying strategic rivalry between the United States and China, and the gradual fragmentation of the international order have made neutrality increasingly difficult to sustain. In a world that rewards alignment, remaining equidistant has become an exception rather than the rule. Against this backdrop, ASEAN's diplomatic doctrine appears remarkably resilient. While major powers encourage countries to choose sides, Southeast Asia continues to defend…

22

Jun

By Diplomacy and Business

Editorial

Diplomacy is also built on gestures

International summits are measured not only by the agreements they produce, but also by the image they project. At a time when geopolitical tensions continue to reshape global alliances, the recent G7 meeting once again demonstrated that diplomacy extends well beyond official statements. Every gesture, every photograph and every public appearance contributes to the credibility of a country's international standing. Japan has earned worldwide respect through a diplomatic tradition rooted in discretion, institutional discipline and careful attention to protocol. These qualities have become part of its international identity, reinforcing the country's influence far beyond its economic and military capabilities. In…

Taxed like citizens, treated like consumables

19

Jun

By Diplomacy and Business

Opinion

Taxed like citizens, treated like consumables

Urmas Teder, journalist Japan's immigration debate has entered a curious new phase. According to recent proposals put forward by Sanseitō leader Sōhei Kamiya, foreign residents should face stricter access to welfare benefits, public funds and social assistance. They should be expected to embrace Japan's cultural homogeneity, while those reaching old age would, in principle, return to their countries of origin rather than remain in Japan. Japanese nationals, naturally, would receive priority. Every sovereign state has the right to determine its immigration policy. Governments may decide who enters, who stays and under which conditions. Yet immigration policy also rests on an…

15

Jun

By Diplomacy and Business

Editorial

The quiet power or football diplomacy

For much of the twentieth century, diplomacy was associated with summit meetings, trade agreements and military alliances. Yet some of the most effective forms of international engagement often take place far from conference rooms. Football, the world's most popular sport, has become one of the most powerful instruments of soft power, capable of connecting societies that politics alone sometimes struggles to bring together. The FIFA World Cup offers perhaps the clearest example of this phenomenon. Every four years, countries that may have little direct contact in their daily political relations suddenly find themselves sharing the same global stage. National teams…