Japan's defence diplomacy in South East Asia

This thesis conducts an empirical case study analysis of Japan's defence diplomacy in the South East Asian nations of Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam during the period from 2006 to 2016. Defence diplomacy is an element of statecraft that uses a nation's military and security institutions in a non-coercive, peaceful manner to enhance military cooperation and to seek military reform with another nation. This thesis traces the evolution of Japan's defence diplomacy in its evolving security environment and identifies its character based on See Seng Tang and Bhubhindar Singh's typology of "pragmatic"or "transformative"defence diplomacy.This thesis contributes important elements in the study of Japan's defence diplomacy strategy and engagement in South East Asia.