EVENTS

Drawing inferences from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japanese strategic planners have surmised that a similar war in the Asia-Pacific region cannot be ruled out, especially over Taiwan, which will have implications for Japanese security. This is clearly reflected in the strategic documents adopted by the Kishida administration in December 2022, which authorises Japan to drastically increase defence spending, acquire counter strike capabilities and prepare a defence force which could take primary responsibility to repel an aggression. While there is broad support for the new security policies, a section of the strategic community and civil society differ with the government’s interpretation of the regional security situation and the need to increase defence spending through increased tax. They have presented counterproposals and have questioned the premise on which new security policy is based. The speaker would examine Japan’s post-Ukraine strategic doctrine, as well as alternative proposals presented by civil society groups. He would also highlight the challenges the Kishida administration would face in implementing the new security policies.

About the Speaker

Dr. Shamshad Ahmad Khan is Visiting Associate Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies. He is also an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani Dubai Campus, UAE. He has recently concluded his term as a Visiting scholar at Waseda Institute of Advanced Studies, Waseda University. He completed his Ph.D. in International Relations from the Japanese Studies Division at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi. He was associated with various Indian and Japanese research institutes including ICWA, MP-IDSA, Keio Research Institute, Japan Institute of International Affairs, Institute of Developing Economies, and Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido. He received the Nakasone Yasuhiro award in 2011 from the International Institute of Policy Studies, Tokyo for his research on Japan-India relations. Besides journal articles and book chapters, he has also authored a book on India-Japan Relations titled, Changing Dynamics of India-Japan Relations: Buddhism to Strategic Partnership (Pentagon Press, 2017).

About the Chair

Dr. Srabani Roy Choudhury is a Professor in Japanese Studies at the Centre for East Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Prior to joining JNU, she was a faculty in International Management Institute. Her association with Japan began with Japan Foundation Fellowship 1996-1997. She has been on visiting scholar programme to Keizai Koho Centre, Ministry of Economics and Industry, Japan, Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance, Japan, Kobe University, Nagoya University and Keio University. Her recent publications deal with economic diplomacy between Japan and India and India-Japan relations from the perspective of the power dynamics in Indo-Pacific region. She has to her credit five edited volumes Japan- SAARC Partnership: A Way Ahead (2014) and India-Japan Relations @ 70: Building Beyond Bilateral (2022), The Indo-Pacific Theatre: Strategic Visions and Frameworks (2022), Japan and Its Partners in the Indo-Pacific: Engagements and Alignment (2023) and Dynamics of India-Japan Partnership: Abe Era.

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