Purnendra Jain | Can Japan Hold Its Own In The Indo-Pacific? | TFP #107

For decades, Japan has been viewed as an economic powerhouse constrained by its post-war constitution and reliance on the United States for its security. Today, that assumption is being tested. Joining Dr John Bruni on The Focus is one of Australia's foremost experts on Japan and the Indo-Pacific, Emeritus Professor Purnendra C. Jain. Together, they examine how Japan is adapting to one of the most dangerous strategic environments since the Second World War. As the Indo-Pacific enters a period of profound strategic uncertainty, Japan's decisions may prove decisive—not only for its own future, but for regional stability as a whole. 🎙️ Serious geopolitics. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on global affairs. Producers — Neil Smart & Lin Siah 🎧 Watch now on The Focus with John Bruni Subscribe and Support our Channel / @thefocus_sageintl The Focus Social & Website X: https://x.com/TheFocus_SAGE IG: / thefocus_sage LinkedIn: sage-international Facebook: / thefocus.sageint Website: https://sageinternational.com.au/ You can also listen to our podcasts on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5SsaNdo... Auscast Network: https://auscastnetwork.com/shows/news... *Show Notes* 👉🏻 About Emeritus Professor Purnendra C. Jain Purnendra Jain is one of Australia's foremost scholars of Japanese politics, foreign policy and Indo-Pacific strategic affairs. Formerly Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Adelaide, Professor Jain has spent more than three decades researching Japanese politics, India-Japan relations, Australian foreign policy and the evolving strategic architecture of the Indo-Pacific. In 2020, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Government of Japan in recognition of his outstanding contribution to promoting understanding between Japan and Australia. *Selected Recent Publications* 👉🏻 2025 — Japan's Foreign and Security Policy Pivots to Pragmatism, Replacing Idealism Published in the Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs. 👉🏻 2025 — The Global South and India: Opportunities and Challenges Published by IDE-JETRO. 👉🏻 2025 — The Japan-India-Bangladesh Strategic Triangle Unfastened Published by IDE-JETRO. *Glossary* 👉🏻 ODA (Official Development Assistance) Government-funded foreign aid is provided to support the economic development and welfare of developing countries. Japan has long used ODA as a key instrument of its foreign policy. 👉🏻 LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) Japan's dominant conservative political party. 👉🏻 Indo-Pacific A strategic concept describing the interconnected maritime region stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. 👉🏻 Strait of Hormuz One of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints. Roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil passes through the Strait, making it critically important to energy-importing countries such as Japan. 👉🏻 Economic Security Policies designed to protect critical industries, supply chains, technology, energy supplies and national resilience from geopolitical coercion or strategic disruption. 👉🏻 Collective Self-Defence Japan's reinterpretation of its post-war constitution allows the Japan Self-Defense Forces to assist allies under certain circumstances, even if Japan itself is not directly attacked. 👉🏻 Taiwan Contingency A term describing the possibility of military conflict involving Taiwan. Japanese planners increasingly view stability across the Taiwan Strait as directly linked to Japan's own national security. 👉🏻 Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The aircraft itself is still commonly referred to as Tempest, particularly in the UK, because GCAP evolved from the original British-led Tempest programme and Japan's Mitsubishi F-X project. Partner nations: Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy. Industry leads: BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan). Planned entry into service: around 2035. *Thank you for listening to The Focus* If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with colleagues and friends interested in geopolitics, defence, national security and the evolving strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific. Host: Dr John Bruni. Founder & CEO, SAGE International Explaining the forces shaping the world beyond the headlines.