ASEAN次世代専門家グループ招へい（第1期：経済安全保障）Sunida Aroonpipat

Japanese Economic Security: Unveiling Contemporary Challenges, Developing Systematic Strategic Responses, and Enabling Real-World Application through Regional Partnership

Unveiling Contemporary Challenges: Japan’s role in economic development has long captivated global attention, standing as one of the most remarkable development models since the post–World War II era. Beyond being a model of development, Japan also plays a significant role in shaping Thailand’s economic landscape, serving as a leading trade partner and the top foreign investor—ranking 3rd in trade and 1st in investment as of 2024 (Ministry of Commerce, 2024).

In an era marked by rapid and unpredictable shifts in the geopolitical and geoeconomics landscape—ranging from Japan’s stance on evolving trade relations with the United States, the rising influence of China and Russia-Ukraine conflicts—Japan’s strategic positioning has garnered increasing attention. Particularly, Japan’s trade strategy connecting those leading trade partners with Southeast Asian region.

Of particular interest is Japan’s adoption of economic security as a key approach. Unlike conventional growth models that emphasize trade and investment expansion, Japan offers a reorientation through the lens of security and sustainability, providing a timely and relevant response to today’s global uncertainty.

Developing Systematic Strategic Responses: While the concept of economic security is not entirely new, Japan’s approach has gained recognition for its ability to design strategies supported by well-structured measures tailored to its national context. In the face of intensifying global competition—particularly with China—Japan’s initiatives focus on four key areas deemed vital to maintaining economic resilience and technological leadership. These include: securing the stable supply of critical commodities, ensuring a reliable supply of basic infrastructure services, supporting the development of cutting-edge critical technologies, and establishing a system to keep confidentiality of the content of patent applications.

A defining feature of Japan’s economic security strategy is the strength of its institutional design. Rather than creating overlapping mandates, Japan’s public agencies operate with clearly delineated responsibilities that are strategically aligned to advance shared national objectives. This institutional architecture reflects a deliberate effort to convert policy into actionable outcomes through inter-agency complementarity and coherence.

For instance, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is tasked with identifying and promoting key economic sectors, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contributes geopolitical perspectives to inform strategic direction. Financial support for the private sector is delivered through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), alongside development assistance managed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Furthermore, people-centered engagement is fostered through cultural and educational initiatives led by the Japan Foundation (JF) and academic institutions. Together, these mechanisms illustrate Japan’s capacity to operationalize “economic security” as the national strategy through a well-integrated and functionally differentiated institutional framework.

Japan’s institutional design reflects not only present-day functionality but also strategic foresight. It anticipates future shifts by integrating emerging issues into its policy agenda, including food and agriculture futures, innovative and positive energy transitions, and the use of AI in national security. This forward-looking orientation reinforces Japan’s ability to maintain relevance and resilience in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Enabling Real-World Application through Regional Partnership: Japan’s systematic design and adaptable implementation of its economic security strategy offer valuable lessons for Thailand. These insights can support a reframing of Thailand’s development approach through the lens of economic security. Typically, Thailand mainly focuses on actively promote the relocation of production bases to the country in order to secure the economic position, offering various incentives and focusing on attracting integrated operations, including manufacturing facilities, regional headquarters, and research and development centers (BOI, 2024). However, Japan’s strategic position in four key areas shaping the idea of going beyond the relocation of production base which helps Thailand’s reconsider the national strategy.

Beyond academic discourse regarding Japan’s systematic strategy on economic security which will be introduced to Thai academia, Japan’s experience presents practical policy recommendations that can inform Thai public agencies. Particularly, Thai transition towards new green economy with the role of Department of Climate Change and Environment has become the promising recent area that Japan’s initiative can constructively advocate. These recommendations will be further strengthened through regional networks already established by this JF initiative, particularly in Japan and Southeast Asia.