China’s Rise, America’s Pivot and Japan’s Choice for Peace and Stability of the Asia-Pacific Region

Assoc Prof Michael Heazle, Griffith Asia Institute, Professor Yamaguchi, Professor Andrew O’Neil, Mr Shinya Machida — Deputy Consul-General, Consulate-General of Japan, Brisbane and Mr Shusaku Hirashima — Consul, Consulate-General of Japan, Brisbane

Lieutenant General Noboru Yamaguchi, Professor and Director for International Programs, National Defense Academy (NDA) of Japan presented an insightful and provocative look into Japan’s military relationship with China and the US. In his presentation he discussed the security landscape in the Asia-Pacific region in the long run and how it will mainly be determined by two significant actors, the People’s Republic of China and the United States. China’s rise has been and will continue to be an extremely prominent factor for the rest of region. While how fast and toward which direction China will proceed is still open to question.

Lieutenant General Yamaguchi went on to discuss the US and how they have made a significant step to keep being involved in the region’s politics by declaring that it will rebalance itself towards the Asia-Pacific region. For architects of Japan’s security strategy, it is crucially important 1) to scrutinize both negative and positive impacts of China’s Rise without any bias, 2) to have a clear picture of the US rebalance with understanding of the roles of America’s allies for proper implementation of this policy, and 3) to develop courses of action and possible policies for Japan to better serve to the region’s peace and stability.

Griffith Asia Institute also played host to Lieutenant General Yamaguchi the following day when he presented at a round table discussion for some of the business school researchers.

Lieutenant General Yamaguchi, JGSDF (Ret.) is now Professor and Director for International Programs of the National Defense Academy (NDA) of Japan. He graduated from the NDA majoring in applied physics in 1974 and trained as an army aviator, mainly flying helicopters. He received his MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in 1988 and was a National Security Fellow at John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies, Harvard University 1991-1992.