Japan’s New Politics and Global Role
23.09.26 / Vienna
On 23 September 2026, AIES, the Embassy of Japan in Austria and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna hosted a public panel discussion entitled "Japan's New Politics and Global Role."
Opening remarks were delivered by Ambassador Dr. Martin Eichtinger, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, and AIES Director Michael Zinkanell-Süss. The speakers were H.E. Kiminori Iwama, Ambassador of Japan to Austria, and Ambassador Dr. Hans Dietmar Schweisgut, former Ambassador of Austria and of the EU to China and Japan. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Werner Fasslabend, President of AIES.
The discussion centred on the current challenges facing Japan and its future positioning within a changing international order. The Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative was examined in detail, including its priorities in the areas of economic security, the resilience of supply chains for energy and critical raw materials, and regional peace and stability. The relevance of this initiative for Europe was also highlighted.
A further focus was on Japan's position against the backdrop of an eroding post-war order. It was noted that the United States is no longer the hegemon of previous decades, while its alliances remain in place, making a rules-based order among like-minded states all the more important. On questions of economic security, reference was made to Japan's experience in reducing its dependency on China, from which Europe could also draw lessons.
The subsequent discussion addressed Japan's security environment between two nuclear-armed neighbours as well as the significance of its alliance with the United States. With regard to the wider neighbourhood, the conversation covered the positive development of Japanese-South Korean relations through sustained dialogue, Japan's clear stance towards Russia, and its unchanged and dialogue-oriented position towards China.