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A Necessary Challenge: Japanese Response to <\/span>China\u2019s Economic Rise and America\u2019s Retreat<\/span><\/p>\n Ziyu He*<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, 3700 O St. NW, <\/span>Washington, DC, USA. E-mail zh133@georgetown.edu<\/span><\/p>\n Abstract<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Dependent on China economically and reliant on the US for national security, <\/span>Japan has frequently been portrayed as a waning economic power squeezed between two <\/span>major powers with few policy options, save from cautiously striking for a balance in <\/span>between. From this perspective, growing competition and even confrontation between <\/span>China and the US exacerbate Japan\u2019s dilemma, increasing the risk of Tokyo\u2019s China<\/span> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55156\/jjsem.dec2117<\/span><\/p>\n [\/fusion_text][fusion_button link=”https:\/\/department-of-japanese-studies.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/17.-Ziyu.pdf” text_transform=”” title=”” target=”_self” link_attributes=”” alignment=”” modal=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” color=”custom” button_gradient_top_color=”” button_gradient_bottom_color=”” button_gradient_top_color_hover=”” button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” type=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”” border_radius=”” border_color=”” border_hover_color=”” size=”medium” stretch=”yes” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]Download[\/fusion_button][\/fusion_builder_column][\/fusion_builder_row][\/fusion_builder_container]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” link_color=”” link_hover_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-journals-of-djs","category-number-1-december-2021","category-17","category-18","description-off"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2973\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/djs.du.ac.bd\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\npolicy, be it leaning toward engagement or balancing. This paper, however, challenges this <\/span>popular perception. Building upon the argument that China\u2019s growing assertiveness and <\/span>America\u2019s relative decline have awakened Japan from a reactive participant to a proactive <\/span>ally, this paper examines how these critical challenges have compelled Japan to adapt, <\/span>innovate, and experiment with new strategies and foreign economic policies. I argue that <\/span>the rapidly changing geopolitical environment presents Japan with a unique opportunity <\/span>to stand out as a leader and significant power. <\/span>For Japan, China\u2019s rapid rise was an unprecedented new experience since the modern <\/span>nation\u2019s founding in the nineteenth century. For much of the past one and a half centuries, <\/span>Japan was the only modern and powerful state in East Asia on par with the Western powers <\/span>that created and dominated the world (Hoshino & Satoh, 2012). Even after its utter defeat <\/span>in 1945, Japan\u2019s miraculous economic recovery with US assistance elevated it to the East <\/span>Asian flying geese model leader. However, China\u2019s emergence since the early 1990s is <\/span>creating a new regional paradigm that challenges Japan\u2019s historical position and <\/span>confidence. When China entered a period of high-speed economic growth in the early <\/span>1990s, Japan\u2019s economy stagnated after the asset price bubble burst. Since 2010, China\u2019s <\/span>strong economic performance following the 2008 financial crisis and Chinese leaders\u2019 <\/span>perception of waning US power and influence emboldened Beijing to pursue more <\/span>assertive foreign policies that further challenged Tokyo\u2019s economic, political, and security <\/span>interests. Gradual changes in the balance of power in Asia has fostered a popular portrayal <\/span>of Japan as a waning power squeezed between China and the US and a pessimistic view <\/span>of Japan\u2019s future as the tension between China and the US escalates. <\/span>However, this paper argues that China\u2019s growing assertiveness and uncertain US <\/span>commitment to Asia-Pacific have benefited Japan. In response to China\u2019s growing <\/span>assertiveness and fear of America\u2019s retreat, Japan is adopting a more proactive economic <\/span>foreign policy, including reassessments of bilateral trade relations with China, <\/span>reconfigurations of investment and aid strategies to developing nations, and further <\/span>engagements with like-minded allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. In doing <\/span>so, Tokyo is doubling down on its commitment to the liberal rules-based order and <\/span>positioning itself as a significant participant and leader. <\/span>Moreover, this paper argues that as much as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and rapid <\/span>changes in geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific are challenging to navigate, these challenges <\/span>also present Japan with unique new opportunities. Growing suspicion from Western <\/span>countries on China\u2019s advanced technologies such as 5G offers Japan a chance to take the <\/span>leadership role in telecommunication. Reconfigurations in the global value chain as <\/span>companies move their production plants from China to Southeast countries will also <\/span>benefit Japan given its close relationship with ASEAN nations and its long-running <\/span>developmental assistance. Finally, as the relationship between China and Western <\/span>democracies further strained following the imposition of national security laws on Hong <\/span>Kong and Beijing\u2019s growing military pressure on Taipei, Japan will find opportunities to <\/span>bridge China and the West. We should thus envision Japan\u2019s future as a new leader in the <\/span>Indo-Pacific, and a linchpin between China and the West rather than a waning power <\/span>squeezed uncomfortably between China and the US. <\/span>This paper will first discuss in details Japan\u2019s dilemma, then analyse how China\u2019s rise and <\/span>overstep concurrent with the US retreat from the Indo-Pacific have benefited Japan and <\/span>awoken it to new economic opportunities, and finally explore how the rapid changes in<\/span>the regional and international order offer Tokyo a unique window to become an active <\/span>participant and leader in the post-pandemic world.<\/span><\/p>\n