Il Giappone tra diplomazia e multilateralismo: il caso dell’ASEAN Regional Forum

Abstract

If ASEAN played a key role in the creation of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Japan’s contribution was essential in the historic path leading to the birth of this organization. This paper takes as its starting point the sense of uncertainty pervading Japan during the first half of the 1990s, particularly related to the political instability of the area, in order to investigate the steps followed by the country in providing an effective response to the transformed international scenario. In this context, the ARF becomes a reality that the country supported to promote a multilateral security dialogue within Asia, challenging the traditional political architecture and regional hegemonic logic