Japan's Global South Outreach Gains Critical Significance

Nation a stalwart defender of rules-based order as the West pulls back diplomatically

- Walter Sim

TOKYO - For decades, Japan has quietly engaged developing countries—now collectively known as the Global South—through steady development assistance by building schools, hospitals, roads, and ports.

Now, this consistent outreach is gaining critical significance.

As Western democracies such as the US and European countries pull back diplomatically from the Global South, Japan—the only Asian member of the Group of Seven advanced economies—has emerged as a stalwart defender of the existing rules-based order that is under increasing pressure.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently welcomed leaders from over 40 African countries at the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) summit, held from Aug 20 to 22 in Yokohama. He will also host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral visit from Aug 29 to 30.

Observers note that both India, a key Global South leader, and continental Africa have become arenas of intense geopolitical rivalry.

Countries in the Global South are gaining agency as they develop and gain influence in multilateral institutions—sometimes even setting up rival frameworks—with rivals of the West, namely China and its partners, challenging the rules-based order by drawing Global South countries to their side. Japan sees a key avenue of defending the existing rules-based order against its challengers in engaging Global South countries.

It does not help the West's cause that punishing US tariffs imposed on more than 90 countries, with new rates ranging from 10 per cent to 50 per cent kicking in on Aug 7, pose a grave threat to developing economies. On Aug 27, the US enacted levies of 50 per cent on Indian imports over the country's purchase of Russian oil.

The closure of the US Agency for International Development and Europe's focus on its resources on Ukraine's war with Russia have created a gaping vacuum in outreach by advanced democratic economies in the Global South.