China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia and Japan’s counter-bandwagoning strategy

This study explores Japan's response to China's economic and political influence in Southeast Asia (SEA), particularly among the ASEAN member states. While existing literature often frames Japan's policy as balancing or soft balancing, this paper offers a new model which we call counter-bandwagoning (CBW). Japan's CBW strategy aims to dissuade smaller states from aligning with China by providing a number of political and economic incentives. Thus, by analysing Japan's economic cooperation, military engagement, and multilateral diplomacy, we hope to contextualise Japan's efforts to counter Beijing's regional influence. Our findings highlight Japan's nuanced approach, blending competition and cooperation, to shape a regional order aligned with its strategic interests.