Japanese Research

Strategic Considerations and Japanese Attitudes to the Belt and Road Initiative

LIAN Degui

2018, 32(5): 1-6. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.001

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The strategic considerations of Japanese attitudes towards the Belt and Road Initiative have changed under three modes of thinking. First of all, power thinking determined that Japan initially adopted a waitandsee attitude towards the Belt and Road Initiative. Japan, as a major trading nation, is closely following the changes in maritime rights and worried about the loss of interest, hence taking a negative wait-and-see attitude towards the Belt and Road Initiative. Second, interest thinking has influenced Japanese attitudes toward the Belt and Road Initiative. It is estimated that Japan recognizes that the Belt and Road can bring great business opportunities, and Japanese companies can not afford to lose these opportunities. Third, Japans change of attitude towards the Belt and Road Initiative is also based on diplomatic thinking. Mr. Trumps withdrawal from the TPP is a great disappointment to Mr. Abe. The change in the attitude of major countries towards the Belt and Road Initiative is also a stimulus to Abe. In addition, Abe also tried to intervene between SinoRussian relationships. All in all, Japanese attitudes toward the Belt and Road have begun to change. While remaining cautious, Japan seeks power, interests, and diplomatic benefits through conditional support.

International Structure and Japans Pursuit of Being a Great Power

MENG Xiaoxu

2018, 32(5): 7-14. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.002

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The international structure has a profoundly restrictive impact on Japans foreign strategic choice since its becoming a “ nonnormal country” after the World War Ⅱ. On the other hand, Japan took advantage of the international structure and tried to use it for Japans national development strategy. In the bipolar structure of the Cold War, Japan quickly regained the status of a sovereign nation under the support of the United States and improved its international political status. Japan aimed to be a major political power after becoming a major economic power in the world. When the international structure shifted towards multipolarity, Japan regarded it as an opportunity to become a major political power. Japan participated in international affairs frequently, and took more responsibility. Japan also paid attention to the military transformation, and pushed forward to be a great power. With the deepening of the multipolarity and the rise of the emerging countries today, Japan feels the pressure and threat. Japan begins to accelerate the process of pursuing becoming a great power, especially in terms of military power. However, there are some obstacles for Japan in the pursuit of being a great power.

The Influence of Think Tanks in the Formation of Japanese Security Policy ——And the Role of a Different Type of Japanese Think Tank

WU Huaizhong

2018, 32(5): 15-24. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.003

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Japans security think tank, though limited in its role in policy formulation, still has considerable influence. The think tanks with certain influence in the field of Japanese security and defense can be divided into four categories: official research institutions, quasiofficial professional think tanks, research institutions affiliated with economic units, various ad hoc advisory committees or groups. These think tanks influence Japans security decisionmaking mainly in three ways: bottomup, topdown, and plane convection. Generally speaking, the fourth of the four categories of think tanks, different from those in other countries, plays an important role in the formation of important security decisions and documents in Japan, which can be called the “alternative Japanese type” security think tank. In the current era, the research contents and political positions of the Japanese security think tanks, including other types of think tanks, have obvious values and policy tendencies, which pose realistic challenges to the improvement of SinoJapan relations and Chinas public diplomacy towards Japan.

Analysis of the Underlying Purpose and Challenges of Energy Cooperation between Japan and Africa

PANG Zhongpeng

2018, 32(5): 25-34. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.004

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The African continent and the offshore areas have abundant energy resources, and Africas position in the international energy market is increasingly prominent. In recent years, Japan has gradually strengthened its energy cooperation with Africa in order to cope with increasing domestic energy demand and at the same time seek to get rid of its dependence on energy in the Middle East. In addition to meeting the dominant purpose of diversifying energy imports, Japans energy cooperation with Africa has other deeper objectives, including highlighting Japans marine geopolitical influence and seeking Japans permanent membership of the UN Security Council. However, Japans energy cooperation with Africa still faces many challenges. The utilitarian purpose of Japan, the competition game with the United States and Europe, and the state of contention with China restrict Japan from further enhancing the level and speed of energy cooperation with Africa.

A Study on the New Trend of Japans AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation Strategy

CHEN Youjun

2018, 32(5): 35-44. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.005

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Abstract:Influenced by the strategic demands of its own political powers and the growing economic and political importance of the AsiaPacific region, Japans AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation strategy focuses on two dimensions in 2017. That is, to lead the process of TPP negotiations without the United States and economic cooperation with the United States. The Trump administrations “economic unilateralism” has become the main factor restricting and influencing the development of Japans AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation strategy, but the withdrawal of the United States from the TPP has also provided Japan with certain political space to lead the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation. In addition, although it is quite dissatisfied with the US trade protectionism policy, Japan still maintains a restrained and tolerant attitude in dealing with the trade frictions between Japan and the United States, and actively promotes coordination of economic policies with the United States and strategic cooperation in the energy field. In the future, there will be two hidden worries of “trade problem” and“route problem” in Japans economic cooperation with the United States, which will, to a certain extent, restrict the implementation and extension of its AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation strategy.

An Analysis of Japans Foreign Trade Strategy in the Period of Abenomics

ZHANG Jian

2018, 32(5): 45-56. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.006

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After World War II, Japans foreign trade strategy experienced three stages. The first stage (1955-1999) is the stage of multilateral liberalization strategy centered on GATT/WTO. The second stage (2000-2012) is the stage of bilateral EPA strategy. The third stage is the stage of “TPP rulesled” regional free trade agreement strategy during the period of Abenomics. Abe regime intends to use TPP rules to dominate large regional free trade agreements involving the United States, the European Union, and China. But Trumps protectionist policies will not only shake the Abe regimes foreign trade strategy, it will also have a great impact on the economic policy system of Abenomics. Japan needs to facilitate the implementation of ChinaJapanKorea Free Trade Agreement and RCEP as soon as possible, thereby contributing to the development of the global free trade system.

Research on the Land Nationalization of Ritsuryo Japan

GUO Na

2018, 32(5): 57-67. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.007

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At the time of Taikare Reform in the midseventh century, Japan established the Ritsuryo System, reclaimed land from the aristocracy to the state, as well as put Handenshuju into practice in order to alleviate class contradiction caused by land acquisition. During the era of Ritsuryo Japan, the form of land was land nationalization, but the right of the state to land was not land ownership but national public power that regulates the opposition between the aristocracy and the peasantry. Substantively, the land and the people were jointly owned by the upper class, and the land nationalization was just the external form of national public power for alleviating class contradiction.

The Rural Investigation of South Manchuria Railway in Northeast China

CHEN Xiang

2018, 32(5): 68-80. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.05.008

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In modern times, South Manchuria Railway made an indepth investigation of Chinas rural areas, especially in the rural areas of Northeast China, leaving a huge amount of investigation data. Faced with these data，the academic circles are at a loss as to what to do. So it is urgent to explore the specific situation of South Manchuria Railways investigation into modern Northeast Chinas rural areas in terms of investigation method. The author collated “Manchuria Rural Reality Survey” and“Manchuria Agricultural Reality Survey” in South Manchuria Railways Monthly Investigation, and summed up the eight methods of rural investigation. Taking the specific investigation of the Nanhuangdi Village in Jilin Province as an example, this paper finds out the discrepancy from three investigation data and provides reference for the relevant academic researchers. Through this basic research, we can find out the characteristics and connotation of South Manchuria Railways rural survey data, and reveal the limitations and the purpose of aggression about the Japanese colonizers investigation on Northeast China.

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