Summary
Maaike Okano-Heijmans
Economie en diplomatie in de relatie Japan-China: voorwaarts ondanks het verleden
Maaike Okano-Heijmans elaborates Japan's economic diplomacy towards its neighbour China. Economic diplomacy is intrinsically a product of internal pressures. It is positioned at the intersection of politics and economies, of the international and the domestic, and of government and other actors. As collective memory profoundly shapes Japanese identity it interferes with Japan's economic diplomacy. What then are the truths and myths behind the popular catchphrase 'cold politics, hot economies', which was used for many years to characterize Japanese-Chinese relations? Collective memory has intervened in Japan's economic diplomacy throughout the last decade, especially at times of growing anxiety in periods of transition, such as China's rise at the time of a domestic downturn in Japan and China's accession to the WTO. The author analyses this process at three levels. First, changes at the multilateral level have the potential to inflate historical problems and undermine generally positive economic relations. Secondly, the intervention of collective memory in economic diplomacy occurs at the bilateral level. The stalling of summit meetings and the slowdown in economic negotiations during Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi's tenure are cases in point. Thirdly, in the domestic sphere, political developments can enhance disputes over historical issues. Here, politicians' personal choices are of the utmost importance. Issues concerning the past are generally sidestepped rather than solved. As Japan lacks a system of checks and balances, these issues may result in enhanced Japanese assertiveness in the process of the country's repositioning in East Asia.