TTLV: Japan's security policy in the period 2012 - 2020 and its impact on the East Asia region

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's full name: Nguyen Thanh Trung 2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: December 28, 1979 4. Place of birth: Phu Tho

5. Decision to recognize students:No. 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in training process: No

7. Thesis topic: "Japan's security policy in the period 2012 - 2020 and its impact on the East Asia region".

8. Major: Japanese Studies Code: 8310613

9. Scientific instructor: Dr. Hoang Minh Hang, Deputy Head of Department of Science Management and Development Cooperation, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (former Head of Department of Politics and Security, Northeast Asia Research Institute, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences).

10.Summary of the results of the thesis 

Thesis "Japan's Security Policy"The 2012 - 2020 period and its impact on the East Asia region" analyzes, evaluates, and clarifies Japan's security policy under the Abe Shinzo administration in the 2012 - 2020 period and its impact on the East Asia region to show Japan's strategic adjustments towards becoming a "comprehensive power". This is demonstrated through the following results:

The first,The thesis pointed out the factors promoting the adjustment of Japan's security policy during this period, including changes in the international security environment, with the rise of China and the strategic adjustment of the United States, especially internal factors of Japan with the personal role of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and the shift in the country's political thinking.

Monday, the thesis clarifies the purpose, content and systematizes the implementation process of Japan's new security policy with specific steps, including amending and perfecting the legal framework to allow the Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to operate more widely, significantly increasing the defense budget and expanding international cooperation. These results show a comprehensive change from a "purely defensive" mindset to a more proactive and positive approach.

Tuesday, the thesis assessed the impact of this policy on the East Asia region, including both positive and negative impacts; from there, it provided practical policy suggestions for Vietnam, emphasizing the importance of taking advantage of strategic cooperation with Japan to enhance defense capacity, especially in the field of maritime security, while maintaining independence and transparency in foreign relations.

11.Practical applicability

The research results of the thesis will be a source of reference for relevant training and research institutions in Vietnam in the process of research, teaching and learning. The author also hopes that this work will contribute to providing more arguments and evidence for the competent agencies of Vietnam in the process of research, consulting, planning and implementing policies to strengthen cooperation with Japan in various fields, especially in the fields of security and foreign affairs.

12. Further research directions 

Based on the research results of the thesis, in the future, if there are conditions to continue studying for a doctorate, the author will delve further into foreign and security policies in general in the political career of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, or the foreign and security policies of the Japanese Prime Ministers' administrations in the "post-Abe" period up to the present day.

13. Published works related to the thesis

13.1. Nguyen Thanh Trung - Phan Cao Nhat Anh (2024), "Japan's free and open Indo-Pacific strategy and its impact on Vietnam", Paper presented at the Workshop "World situation in the early 21st century and its impact on Vietnam” at the University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, on October 9, 2024 (within the framework of the National Conference “Research and teaching of foreign languages, linguistics and international studies - UNC2025”).

13.2. Nguyen Thanh Trung (2024), “From cultural symbol to Japan's 'cherry blossom diplomacy'”,World and Vietnam Newspaper, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, October 2, 2024.

INFORMATION REGARDING MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Nguyen Thanh Trung 2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: December 28, 1979 4. Place of birth: Phu Tho

5. Decision on Recognition of Students: No. 5626/2023/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process: None

7. Thesis title: “Japan's security policy in the period of 2012 - 2020 and its impact on the East Asian region”

8. Major: Japanese studies Code: 8310613

9. Scientific instructor: Hoang Minh Hang, Ph.D., Deputy Head, Science Management and Cooperation Development Office, University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMP), Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi (Former Head of Politics and Security Department, Northeast Asia Research Institute, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences).

10. Summary of the results of the thesis

The thesis “Japan's security policy in the period of 2012 - 2020 and its impact on the East Asian region” analyzes, evaluates, and clarifies Japan's security policy under the Abe Shinzo's administration from 2012 to 2020 and its impact on East Asian order to demonstrate Japan's strategic adjustments towards becoming a “comprehensive power”. This is shown through the following key findings:

Firstly, the thesis identifies the factors driving Japan's security policy adjustments during this period, including changes in the international security environment, such as the rise of China and the strategic shift of the United States, as well as Japan's domestic factors, particularly the personal role of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and the shift in the country's political mindset.

Secondly, the thesis clarifies the purpose, content, and systematizes the process of implementing Japan's security policy in this period of time with specific steps, including the revision and completion of the legal framework to allow the Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to operate more broadly, a significant increase in the defense budget, and the expansion of international cooperation. These results show a comprehensive shift from a “purely defensive” mindset to a more proactive and positive approach.

Third, the thesis evaluates the impact of this policy on East Asia, including both positive and negative effects. Based on this, it provides practical policy suggestions for Vietnam, emphasizing the importance of leveraging strategic cooperation with Japan to enhance defense capabilities, especially in the field of maritime security, while maintaining independence and transparency in foreign relations.

11. Practical applicability

The research findings of this thesis will serve as a reference material for relevant educational and research institutions in Vietnam for their research, teaching and learning process. The author also expects this work to contribute to additional arguments and evidence for Vietnamese Government institutions in their research, consultation, policy planning, and implementation aim at strengthening cooperation with Japan in various fields, especially in the fields of security and foreign affairs.

12. Further research directions

Based on the research findings of this thesis, in the future, if I have the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D., I will delve deeper into the foreign and security policies in general during the political career of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, or the foreign and security policy of Japanese Prime Ministers in the “post-Abe” era up to the present day.

13. Published works related to this thesis

13.1. Nguyen Thanh Trung - Phan Cao Nhat Anh (2024), “Japan's free and open Indo-Pacific strategy and its impact on Vietnam”, Paper presented at the Conference “World Situation in the Early 21st Century and its Impact on Vietnam” at the University of Languages ​​and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, on October 9, 2024 (within the framework of the National Conference “Research and Teaching of Foreign Languages, Linguistics and International Studies - UNC2025”).

13.2. Nguyen Thanh Trung (2024), “From Cultural Symbols to Japan's 'Cherry Blossom Diplomacy'”,The World and Vietnam Newspaper, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, October 2, 2024.