Japan’s Arduous Rejuvenation as a Global Power: Democratic Resilience and the US-China ChallengeThis open access book assesses the profound impact of Japan’s aspirations to become a great power on Japanese security, democracy and foreign relations. Rather than viewing the process of normalization and rejuvenation as two decades of remilitarization in face of rapidly changing strategic environment and domestic political circumstances, this volume contextualizes Japan’s contemporary international relations against the longer grain of Japanese historical interactions. It demonstrates that policies and statecraft in the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s era are a continuation of a long, unbroken and arduous effort by successive generations of leaders to preserve Japanese autonomy, enhance security and advance Japanese national interests. Arguing against the notion that Japan cannot work with China as long as the US-Japan alliance is in place, the book suggests that Tokyo could forge constructive relations with Beijing by engaging China in joint projects in and outside of the Asia-Pacific in issue areas such as infrastructure development or in the provision of international public goods. It also submits that an improvement in Japan-China relations would enhance rather than detract Japan-US relations and that Tokyo will find that her new found autonomy in the US-Japan alliance would not only accord her more political respect and strategic latitude, but also allow her to ameliorate the excesses of American foreign policy adventurism, paving for her to become a truly normal great power. |
Other editions - View all
Japan’s Arduous Rejuvenation as a Global Power: Democratic Resilience and ... Victor Teo No preview available - 2020 |
Japan’s Arduous Rejuvenation as a Global Power: Democratic Resilience and ... Victor Teo No preview available - 2019 |
Common terms and phrases
Abe Shinzo Abe’s agenda ally anti-piracy Arab Article 9 ASEAN Asia-Pacific Asian Beijing bilateral challenges China and Japan Chinese Cold Cold War conflict Conservatives Constitution cooperation countries culture debate decades defense democracy democratic deployment diplomacy diplomatic domestic East Asia economic elites forces global power Gulf of Aden hegemon important institutions Israel Israelis issues Japan’s foreign policy Japan’s interests Japan’s normalization Japan’s relations Japan’s security Japanese nation Japanese politics JSDF Junichiro Koizumi Koizumi Meiji Middle East military narratives nationalist neighbors neo-conservatives normalization and rejuvenation North Korea Okinawa pacifism pacifist Palestinian particularly party peace process peacekeeping People’s piracy pirates politicians Postwar Japan Prime Minister Abe region relations with China relationship revisionism rise role scholars Senkaku Islands Shinzo Shinzo Abe ships Sino-Japanese relations Soeya Somalia South China Sea Southeast Asia strategic tion Tokyo United University Press US-Japan alliance US-Japan security alliance vis-à-vis York Yoshida Yoshida Shigeru