Japan, the Fukuda Doctrine, and ASEAN
1980; ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute; Volume: 2; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1355/cs2-1b
ISSN0129-797X
Autores Tópico(s)Japanese History and Culture
ResumoOn 18 August 1977, the Japanese Prime Minister, Takeo Fukuda, delivered a summarizing speech in Manila at the end of his visit to the summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), his subsequent visit to each of the member nations and to Burma. In that speech, which has been dubbed the Manila, or more popularly the Fukuda, Doctrine,1 the Prime Minister emphasized the three main pillars of his trip. The first and probably most important point was aimed at break ing the psychological barriers which existed between Japan and the countries of Southeast Asia as a result of the Second World War. Fukuda stated that though Japan had the technological and economic capability of rearming itself and even producing nuclear weapons, it had chosen not to become a military power. This appears, at first, to be a simple reiteration of the position Japan has found itself faced with arising from its famous pacifist Article 9 of the present constitu tion. But more importantly for the peoples of ASEAN, and of all Southeast Asia, whose memory of Japanese aggression in the Second World War was still vivid, it served to reassure them that Japan had no intention of becoming a military threat. Interestingly, it may have been included as the first point and specially emphasized as a result of urgings by at least one ASEAN head-of-state.2 Second, the Prime Minister called for increased mutual confidence and trust between Japan and ASEAN. He used the words heart-to heart to emphasize the relationship that should develop, words that he had been using some months previously in defining a new relation ship between Japan and its Asian neighbours. Third, he said that Japan would be an equal partner and walk hand-in-hand with ASEAN''. This last pillar seems to be only a further elaboration of his second point, emphasizing that Japan would no longer seek to be the dominant member of the Asian scene but would accept the other members of Asia as equal partners. Also implicit in 10
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