To counter the Communist Party’s “Belt and Road” initiative, Nikkei Asia reports that Japan and the United States are proposing to launch an Indo-Pacific version of the “Belt and Road” initiative, which would support the development of high-quality infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond through the development of guidelines.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Joe Biden will meet face-to-face at the White House on April 16, U.S. time. At that time, the two sides hope to reach an agreement to expand foreign infrastructure cooperation programs and will also discuss the promotion of high-speed 5G wireless networks and clean energy technologies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan and the United States to develop a clear structure for major organizations and enterprises to follow, the purpose of two: one is to win the trust of regional countries, and the second is to seize the advantage in the competition with Beijing authorities for influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Nikkei Asia reported that the guidelines proposed by Japan and the United States will cover the prerequisites for investment, the system for implementing the plan, and the proposed development of local talent. Japan and the United States will also develop procurement standards and maintenance specifications to minimize the risk of technology outflows.
Compared with the case-by-case approach in the 2017 MOU, the proposed basic structure will allow for a higher amount of investment.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that developing countries in Asia will need to invest US$26 trillion (about NT$740 trillion) in infrastructure during the period from 2016 to 2030. For example, Pacific island countries need submarine cables to strengthen their fragile telecommunications infrastructure, and Japan and the United States are working with Australia to provide funding to lay submarine fiber optic cables for Palau.
China has used low-cost infrastructure to expand its “One Belt, One Road” initiative in emerging Asia. These economies are seen by Japan and the U.S. as key to the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” concept.
The Chinese Communist Party is also accused of using so-called debt trap diplomacy to pressure countries in need of help. Some of these countries are tourism-dependent Southeast Asian and Pacific Island countries that have been hit hard by the 2019 Communist China virus (COVID-19) epidemic and have turned to the Communist China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for financial assistance to strengthen their finances.
At the same time, the potential security and climate risks of Chinese technology products have also raised concerns.
Telecommunications technologies such as 5G have become a battleground for U.S. and Chinese technological hegemony, and a promising area for U.S.-Japan cooperation.
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