ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes how the expansion of capacity building programs by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) influenced Japanese diplomacy and regional maritime security development. JCG initiated capacity building from technical assistance for the safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment to maritime law enforcement and the technical skills for frontline officials to policy formulation for promising officers. Those activities have substantially influenced Japanese diplomacy and become a central pillar of the Japanese ODA policy and Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) thinking. Finally, international cooperation will become essential to maximize effort for regional stability through capacity building. The efforts by an individual state or international organization will not be enough to meet the demands of the region. Besides, such multilateral engagements will contribute to realizing the concept of FOIP and deepen understandings of the shared value of freedom of navigation and the rule-based order.
