Re-militarization debates and Japan's changing security posture

Japan's recent diplomatic tour across Vietnam and Australia has sparked debate over symbolism, strategy, and selective historical memory. High-profile gestures in Canberra and silence on wartime history in Southeast Asia raise questions about consistency, intent, and messaging in Japan's foreign policy. Liu Xin examines Japan's evolving Indo-Pacific strategy, its "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" vision, and the growing debate over whether China is being structurally excluded from regional frameworks. Is Japan advancing a more coordinated geopolitical agenda under the rhetoric of openness and cooperation? And why does it maintain different attitudes toward Western and Asian nations over wartime historical issues?