Liberal order undone? Japan’s leadership role after Prime Minister Abe

The American-led international liberal order is nearing a breaking point. The rise of protectionism and atrophy of the World Trade Organization has battered the open trading system, and America’s alliances are facing growing strain. Meanwhile, China has become more assertive in using its military and economic power to advance its interests, and U.S.-China strategic competition increasingly threatens to fragment the world, including the advent of separate technological ecosystems. Moreover, the global health crisis and deep recession brought about by COVID-19 have exposed the limits of international cooperation in the current climate.

In recent years, Japan has emerged as a champion of the liberal order, but it is also experiencing a leadership transition with the resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and inauguration of his successor Yoshihide Suga. What international role will Japan play in the post-Abe era? How will Tokyo navigate U.S.-China strategic competition? How will the U.S.-Japan alliance evolve? Can Japan and the EU find common cause in rescuing multilateral cooperation?

On Wednesday, October 14, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings and the Asia Pacific Initiative hosted a panel of experts to examine these questions and explore the role of Japan in protecting the future of the liberal international order.

Viewers submitted questions for speakers by emailing [email protected] or via Twitter to @BrookingsFP using #AfterAbe.