Japan's Influence in Asia Waning: Think Tank

Sydney, Feb. 12 (Jiji Press)--A strengthening of Japan's defense capabilities will not be enough to compensate for the country's waning overall influence in Asia, an Australian think tank said in a recent report.

According to the Lowy Institute's 2023 Asia Power Index report, Japan ranked third among the 26 evaluated countries and regions in terms of comprehensive power in Asia, scoring 37.2 points out of 100, down 1.4 points from the previous 2021 report.

Since 2018, the think tank has measured the influence a country or a region has in Asia based on data in eight fields, such as economy, military and culture.

As Japan has moved to substantially increase defense spending and has launched joint military drills with the United States, Australia and other countries, its score in military capability rose.

On the other hand, the country suffered drops in resilience, economic capability, cultural influence and diplomatic influence.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]