Asia NATO Faces Another Setback: Australian PM Throws Cold Water on Stone’s Vision
VIENTIANE, Laos – Japanese Prime MinisterFumio Kishida’s vision for an Asian NATO has hit another roadblock, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pouring cold water on the proposalduring the East Asia Summit in Vientiane.
Albanese, speaking to reporters on October 11, stated that the idea of an Asian NATO wasnot mentioned at all during the two-day summit. He added that the region already has existing security agreements like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) involving the US, Japan, India, and Australia.
The AustralianBroadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that Albanese had previously revealed on October 10 that the Asian NATO concept was not discussed at all during the summit.
This latest setback follows a string of rejections from key players. Indonesia’s largest English-language newspaper, The Jakarta Post, published an editorial on October 5 titled We Reject Asia NATO, urging Kishida to refrain from promoting the idea at the summit.
The US and India have also expressed their reservations. In September, US Assistant Secretary of State for EastAsian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink stated that it was premature to discuss such a proposal. Last year, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also indicated that Washington had no intention of establishing a NATO-like structure in the Indo-Pacific.
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankarechoed this sentiment on October 1, stating that India did not endorse Kishida’s vision for an Asian NATO. We are not contemplating such a strategic framework. We have a different history and a different way of dealing with things, Jaishankar said.
Kishida himself acknowledged that he had no intentionof formally proposing the Asian NATO idea to ASEAN leaders or other countries. He stated that internal discussions within his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had not yet yielded a satisfactory conclusion.
Fumio Kishida’s push for an ‘Asian NATO’ is doomed to fail, stated an article published in TheDiplomat on October 10. The article argues that Kishida has misjudged the strategic implications of his proposal.
The Asian NATO concept, first proposed by Kishida during his campaign, has faced significant opposition. The lack of support from key regional players, including Australia, raises questions about its viability andcasts doubt on its future prospects.
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