The Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) is a strategic concept and an umbrella term for the regional strategies of like-minded countries. It reconceptualizes the Asia-Pacific as a single, integrated maritime space stretching from the east coast of Africa across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The concept was first articulated by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a 2007 speech to the Indian Parliament, where he spoke of a "Confluence of the Two Seas". Japan formally launched the FOIP as a diplomatic strategy in August 2016 at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Kenya. The core problem it addresses is the need to maintain a rules-based international order and secure regional stability amid a shifting power balance and China's growing maritime assertiveness.
The FOIP mechanism rests on three broad pillars: (1) promotion of the rule of law, freedom of navigation, and freedom of overflight; (2) pursuit of economic prosperity through quality infrastructure and connectivity; and (3) commitment to peace and stability, including maritime security and capacity-building.
The concept is closely connected to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), which includes the US, Japan, Australia, and India. India's own vision for a "free, open, and inclusive" Indo-Pacific was articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2018. It also aligns with India's Act East Policy and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
The FOIP framework has been updated recently: on May 2, 2026, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced an updated FOIP in Hanoi, Vietnam. This update introduced three new priority areas, including building economic infrastructure for the age of AI and data, and enhancing cooperation in the field of security. This followed a sharpening of the vision by then-Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in March 2023 in New Delhi.