Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi Returns from Middle East, Asia Tour Where He Advanced ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ Concept

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:08 JST, January 19, 2026

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi returned to Japan on Sunday after completing a diplomatic tour of the Middle East and Asia.

Working in tandem with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who focused on diplomacy at home, Motegi used his stops abroad to lay the groundwork for what the prime minister has described as an evolution of the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) concept. The trip was shaped by two aims: strengthening a network of like-minded countries across the Indo-Pacific with an eye on countering China, and underscoring the need for the United States to remain engaged in upholding the international order.

“We need to respond to changes in the times and evolve FOIP in the most appropriate form,” Motegi told reporters on Friday in New Delhi.

FOIP was originally proposed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of its unveiling. Takaichi announced in autumn that she intended to develop the concept further, and discussions have continued within the government. As China’s military and economic pressure intensifies, the two pillars are considered central to FOIP’s next stage: stronger ties among partner nations and deeper cooperation on economic security.

Motegi held separate meetings in India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. They agreed to establish a private-sector framework related to economic security, among other steps. They also shared the view that closer coordination within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — known as the Quad and comprising Japan, the United States, Australia and India — is essential.

In the Philippines, Motegi met Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro to discuss maritime security and related issues. The two countries signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), enabling their forces to provide one another with supplies such as food and fuel, and creating conditions for smoother cooperation between Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military, including in joint exercises. They also agreed to deepen trilateral cooperation among Japan, the United States and the Philippines.

India and the Philippines share a sense of urgency about China. Before the trip, Motegi told those around him that he wanted to convey to both countries that continued U.S. engagement was “decisively important.” A senior Foreign Ministry official later said the tour unfolded “exactly as intended.”

Ahead of his Asia leg, Motegi visited the Middle East, traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories among other destinations. He emphasized Japan’s willingness to play an active role, including by announcing plans to dispatch Japanese personnel to the Civil-Military Coordination Center tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The ceasefire has been led by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Looking ahead to a visit by Takaichi to Washington being arranged for March, some in the prime minister’s circle say they hope that Motegi’s trip will allow Japan to demonstrate that it is carrying its share of the burden — an argument seen as potentially persuasive with Trump, who has pressed other countries to contribute more.