Online Debate held by E-News & Songs dated Oct. 14, 2021 

 司会兼リーダー：佐藤 一雄     

✤First Agenda :  With warry eye on China, ‘Quad’ Leaders press for free Indo-Pacific ( Authority : The Japan Times Opinion)

第一議題：　「中国に用心しつつQuad（四カ国）リーダー自由で開かれたインド太平洋を強く求める」を8名のメンバーがオンラインで楽しく話し合いました。下記ご覧ください。

Question (1) to Mr. Y.F. : What is President Joe Biden’s aim to have held the Quad face-to-face meeting hastily inviting Yasuhide Suga-P.M. of Japan who is on the verge of retiring, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington?

Summary of Answers: I want Japan to be a reliable leader of Quad member nations. Prime minister Yoshihide Suga had confirmed its direction with President Biden in March as an important strategy between the two allies. Japan and India took important posts in Quad from Asia for the first time. This is significant to protect freedom and democracy in the region. I think Mr. Suga did it well before retiring. It looks like President Biden has prepared a flower path for him while appealing Quad to the world. At any rate, I’m pleased to see India putting foot on democratic camp. Also, we must evaluate Ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who has contributed in building Quad by continuously deepening friendship with Prime Minister Modi of India.

Question (2) to Ms. Y.N. : As stated section (2), Quad claims safety and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond and is implicitly blaming China and North Korea. Why can’t Quad member nations face-to-face and protest them?

Summary of Answers: The reason why Quad does not blame China directly is because no country wants to stimulate China sharply. On the other hand, North Korea possesses nuclear weapons and repeat the launch experiment of mobile ballistic missiles assuming U.S., South Korea and Japan as its hypothetical enemies. Japan as a leader of Quad and a country trying to negotiate with North Korea about release of Japanese abductees can’t openly offend Kim Jung Eun.

Question (3) to Mr. S.M.: according to the Indian government, selling price of their vaccines for COVID-19 is @\280.- per dose which is about 1/7 cheaper than Pfizer’s product and about 1/5 cheaper than that of China’s Sinovac product. So, it is said that the Indian vaccines are popular among Asian vaccine underdeveloped countries. Explain why Indian vaccines are so cheap. 

Summary of Answers: Reportedly India is mass producing corona vaccines by such amazing unit price as @200 rupees per dose. I.E. India sells their production capacity. On the other hand, U.S. financially supports India to secure relevant supply source. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) is investing to India for mass production of Japan’s original corona vaccines. Like this, Indian drug development and productivity are evaluated as one of the best formats in the world.

Question (4) to Mr. T.M. :  it is no exaggeration to say that rare metals and other raw materials from Australia are industrial lifelines useful in U.S., India and Japan where processing technologies are advanced. Predict what QUAD specifically should do to bolster supply chain security for semiconductors and to combat illegal fishing and boost maritime domain awareness including military aspects.　

Summary of Answers: To secure several safe sea lanes in case we encounter contingencies in the future.　To develop the remote sensing technology which enables the four nations to obtain the real-time, precise and wide-rage ocean image so that we four nations could preempt from any illegal activities by our common enemies. To establish an information network among the four nations so that each nation can access common information promptly and simultaneously. When we analyze the advantages of Quad which stands for Quadrilateral security dialogue, it has the significant announce effect over the physical effect arising from military alliance or confederation such as NATO. To enhance this announcement effect to the maximum, a primary consideration should be on establishing a kind of a permanent committee or an office. From our perspective, it ought to be in Tokyo like Brussels for EU. There, the four nations will be able to hold periodical meetings. Whenever the meeting is held, repetitive announcements will be made for gathering more supports from other nations in the region to more consolidate Quad. At Each time we are to be proud of advocacy of our justice and lawfulness which will surely relieve and gratify our old allies and friends.

Question (5) to Mr. K.M. : Even though P.M. Morrison spoke on behalf of AUKUS that both Quad and AUKUS are mutually reinforcing in economic and defense aspects, do you really think so?  Would you like to see invisible disparities and distinctions?  Biden administration still hesitates to join COTTP. Is there a sense of discrimination to the member countries or a special reason as a hegemonic country?

Summary of Answers: Yes, Quad and AUKUS symbolize President Joe Biden’s most important strategy for safe and open Indo-Pacific regions and beyond. These agreements will contribute balance of power between China and the member nations. The importance of nuclear submarines was highlighted at the first AUKUS meeting (Australia, U.K. and United States) in terms of an efficient counterattack mean against China. Politically Australia had denied nuclear weapons virtually as nuclear possession ban. But they had to change their national policy not to be eroded by China. America offered 7.2 trillion yen to Australia to provide the submarine with Australia soothing France which lost an original order from Australia.

Question (6) to Mr. H.M.: Prime Minister Suga to be resigned soon (at that time) was hastily invited to Washington by President Joe Biden and he played a dramatic “casting” in showing the significance of the Quad summit meeting to the world, so we think. However, may I ask your impression about the event?

Summary of Answers: As a most important member of Quad, P.M. Suga played a mediator to put a brake on aggressive China and North Korea. On the one hand, Mr. Suga’s attendance was a kind of graduation trip before resigning for the prime minister. Biden seemed to say good luck and best regards to him and the next prime minister as well.  I don’t think there’s a temperature difference between Quad and AUKUS. Biden admits Japan as the most effective economic security of the free block as being proved and in seen in progressing subtle matter of CPTPP membership application from Taiwan and China.

Question (7) to Mr. K.M.: Please explain the correlation between QUAD, CPTPP and the recently established AUKAS.　

Summary of Answers: It took energy to find the right answer. As background, many liberal and democratic countries respectively agreed to establish Quad, CPTTP and AUKUS to compete against China in a framework of partnership. The member countries have been discussing China threat theory and its anti-international behavior and undertaking dialogue between the parties. These major international alliances started to defend freedom and democracy from socialism and free trade and navigation as well as aviation in Indo-Pacific region and beyond. However, I think we should also discuss with ASEAN countries in parallel how we could find some strategic approach toward various issues taking place in and around China.

✤Second Agenda: Japan faces difficulty in handling respective CPTTP bids of China and Taiwan (Authority: The Japan Times Opinion)

第二議題：「日本は中国、台湾それぞれのCPTTP（先進的環太平洋パートナーシップ協定）加盟申請を処理しなければならないという困難に直面」を続いて話し合いました。

Question (1) to Ms. Y,N,; What are the advantage and disadvantage If Japan agrees with Taiwan’s accession to the CPTTP?

Summary of Answers: Merit: Progress of non-governmental business relations with the membership countries will be enhanced. Demerit; As China does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country, China will impose harassment and economic sanctions upon Member States.

Question (2) to Mr. K.M. : If China tries to accede to the CPTPP with the support of Malaysia and Singapore, could Japan, Australia, Canada and Mexico clearly oppose the China’s membership application? On the one hand, do you think America who left the partnership will hastily rejoin the club before China accedes?

Summary of Answers: Yes and No, President Joe Biden warries of China’s move but I doubt whether he backs out 180 trillion dollars balance of trade with China. Hazard for China’s entry to CPTTP is that China must sign on agreement with 17 member nations individually. A merit for China and/or Taiwan is the party can sign a bilateral agreement under the standard tariff and quota.　On the other hand, China must clear the climate restriction and other rules including prohibition of overprotection of state-owned enterprises which are enforced to all the member nations by CPTTP without exception. Anyway, I think Biden’s leadership and Republican centripetal force is unlikely strong yet particularly in this kind of diplomatic decision. Japan should not clearly oppose but request China to conform rules of CPTTP, thus realizing Yes answer effect.

Question (3) to Mr. T.M.: Should Japan agree with Taiwan, participation to CPTPP, what kind of reaction do you think China and the United States will take?  

Summary of Answers：It is also most self-evident that China will criticize and berate Japan when they notice Japan’s affirmative opinion towards Taiwan’s application for participation.　At the moment China hear Japan’s decision for approval for Taiwan, China will surely　deploy its　air　and　sea　forces　over to contentious territories of Japan and Taiwan to　the　extent　which　Chana thinks that　situation　may　authorize. But an actual collision of forces is unpredictable.　On the other hand, since US is not in the position to make any comment about the inner approval proceeding, it will say that it’s just legitimate for each member of CPTTP to decide on its own in the accordance with its terms and conditions.

Question (4) to Mr. S.M.: Taiwan, following relaxation import restrictions that America and E.U. accelerate on agriculture and fishery products from Fukushima and four other prefectures, is likely to abolish similar ban on the condition of scientific basis. If that happens, do you think that China wanting to join CPTPP will also relax similar import restrictions on Japan?  Also, do you think even Korea- the anti-Japanese administrative country will also follow?

Summary of Answers: I think China will also loosen import restriction of agricultural products from Fukushima and three other prefectures. South Korea will continue to oppose mainly through mass-media. United States will further loosen the restriction.

 Thank you for reading!