Abstract
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has highlighted Japan’s commitment to Southeast Asia since his inauguration for his second term as Prime Minister in December 2012. His first year in office, 2013, represented a search for new initiatives to determine his administration’s strategic objectives towards Southeast Asia under the fortieth anniversary of the ASEAN–Japan Friendship and Cooperation rubric. Unlike many of his predecessors, Abe visited all ten Southeast Asian states, and this diplomatic approach culminated in the “Vision Statement on ASEAN–Japan Friendship and Cooperation: Shared Vision, Shared Identity, Shared Future” and the Joint Statement, “Hand in Hand, Facing Regional and Global Challenges”, which endorsed comprehensive cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.
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