The National Interests of Indonesia and Japan in the Indo-Pacific Region and the Defense Cooperation of the Two Countries

Abstract

The shift in world security politics from West to East have made the Indo-Pacific region the center of attention of international actors. The crucial strategic environment makes countries focus their foreign policies on this region. The large number of actors who want to dominate the region accompanied by the emergence of non-traditional threats has forced countries in the region to be careful in dealing with the situation in the region. Indonesia and Japan as countries in the Indo-Pacific region want the security and stability of this region to be guaranteed from the interests of irresponsible parties. The purpose of this study is to analyze the national interests between Indonesia and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region and the defense cooperation between the two countries. The situation in the Indo-Pacific region is unstable and full of traditional and non-traditional threats. Indonesia and Japan have national interests in this region, namely maintaining security, peace, regional stability and sovereignty of each country from parties that commit acts that violate international law. The two countries are conducting defense cooperation. This study uses qualitative methods and a case study research design. The data were obtained through interviews and literature studies to be further analyzed using theoretical approaches including Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT), national interests, and defense cooperation. The output obtained is the realization of stronger bilateral defense cooperation between Indonesia and Japan based on the Memorandum between the Ministry of Defense of Japan and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia on Cooperation and Exchange in the Defense Sector which was signed in 2015. So that in the end it will create the Indo-Pacific region as expected.