In the Indo-Pacific region, which connects two major oceans, competition among major powers has been intensifying in the areas of maritime security and infrastructure development. In the South China Sea, which can be considered a junction of the two oceans, tensions are rising not only among neighboring countries but also between the US and China due to China's construction of artificial islands and militarization. For Japan, which relies on maritime routes for the import of resources, maintaining international law and the principle of the rule of law has become an important issue. Moreover, the region's infrastructure development needs are still not being fully met. In addition to China's Belt and Road Initiative, the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" of the US and Japan is vying for dominance over not only the infrastructure market but also the norms and orderliness of development. JIIA is examining the competition among major powers over the international order in the Indo-Pacific region and its future direction as well as Japan's best course of action, with input from experts both domestically and internationally.
