Former prime minister Shinzo

defence multilateralism, led by the United States. Former prime minister Shinzo Abe signalled his resolve in 2014 by reinterpreting Japan’s pacifist constitution to allow greater leeway for the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to come to the aid of an ally under attack, an act Japan’s armed forces were previously unable to perform In 2016, Abe announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy, which was geared towards curbing China’s growing influence in maritime Asia. Japan helped revitalise the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad), and has participated in naval exercises with Quad members in waters as far-flung as the Indian Ocean. In tandem with this enhanced multilateral engagement, the SDF has shifted its focus south and has invested in the defence of its southernmost islands, the Nansei Shoto, against Chinese aggression. Japan’s expansive new foreign policy has cemented it into the United States’ vision สล็อต