The First and Second Abe Administrations’ Foreign Policy from a Role Theory Perspective

Authors

  • Tatsuro Debroux Department of Law, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14666/2194-7759-6-2-001

Keywords:

Role theory, Abe Administration, Security, Values, Economy History, Relations with EU and US

Abstract

This paper provides an outline in relation to the foreign policy of the first and second Abe’s administrations, mainly in the areas of security, economic/trade policy and Japanese history, and it extracts Japan’s roles by using role theory. It is argued that Prime Minister Abe’s foreign policy indicates a substantial role shift from Japan’s previously reluctant approaches in international security toward Tokyo’s self-perception of being pivotal in Asia. Prime Minister Abe’s objective is to make Japan more assertive in political affairs by putting more emphasis on the defense of democratic values, i.e. respect for rule of law, human rights and pacific resolution of conflicts. More than ever before, this can be achieved through the active cooperation with other like-minded nations, including in the field of security but also in expressing more explicitly the voice of Japan in political affairs.
So far, it seems that Abe has been successful in doing that by reinterpreting Article 9 and legislating new security-related laws. In the sphere of economics, Abe tries to have Japan take a leading position by responding to China’s challenge in the Northern and Southeast Asian region. With respect to Japan’s history, Abe wants to liberate Japan from the historic shackles of the postwar period, although he is cautious with regard to historical issues. Aware of the danger of rekindling old feuds with countries such as China and South Korea, he makes statements and adopts a behavior that allows him to evade being regarded as a historical revisionist.
Role theory indicates that Abe is not changing Japan’s fundamental roles. Rather, the Prime Minister modifies the realm of the roles and the way to pursue them. There are four meta-roles: Japan as a reliable security partner; Japan as a country that puts emphasis on multilateralism: Japan as a pacifist country based on non-militarism, and Japan as a world/regional leader. It should be possible to observe the changes in them. The core roles are unlikely to change but the meaning of what the components imply in Japan’s foreign policy are at stake. In conclusion this paper focuses on: Japan security shift; Prime Minister Abe second term; Japan foreign policy and new role in Eastern Asia and the World; Historic shackles of the postwar period over; even so Japan is a pacifist country based on non-militarism

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abe S (2006) Utsukushii kuni e [Towards the beautiful country]. Tokyo: Shincho shuppan publisher.

Abe S (2012) Asia’s Democratic Security Diamond. Project Syndicate, 27 December. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a-strategic-alliance-for-japan-and- india-by-shinzo-abe. Accessed 10 January 2016.

Aggestam L (2004) A European Foreign Policy? Role Conceptions and the Politics of Identity in Britain, France and Germany. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press.

Akimoto D (2013) A Theoretical Analysis of Japan’s Changing Security Identity. electronic journal of contemporary Japanese studies, 13 (1), 223-239. http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/ejcjs/vol13/iss1/akimoto.html. Accessed on 12 April 2016.

Akimoto D (2016) Exercising the Right to Collective Self-Defense? An Analysis of “Japan’s Peace and Security Legislation”. Journal of Japanese Law, 21(41): 137-164. http://www.zjapanr.de/index.php/zjapanr/article/view/1044. Accessed on 1 August 2017.

Aso T (2006) Arc of Freedom and Prosperity: Japan’s Expanding Diplomatic Horizons. http://www.mofa. go.jp/announce/fm/aso/speech0611.html. Accessed 20 March 2016.

Asplund A (2015) Will Abe champion democracy and human rights in Asia?.http://www.eastasiaforum. org/2015/02/03/will-abe-champion-democracy-and-human-rights-in-asia/. Accessed on 22 April 2017.

BBC (28 December 2016) Japan PM Shinzo Abe offers Pearl Harbor. 28 December. condolences.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38438714. Accessed on 13 July 2017.

Barnett M (1993) Institutions, Roles, and Disorder: The Case of the Arab States System. International Studies Quarterly, 37(3): 271-296.

Bello W (2013) A Brewing Storm in the Western Pacific. Foreign Policy In Focus. http://fpif.org/a-brewing-storm-in-the-western-pacific/. Accessed on 27 July 2017.

Carr A, Wallis J (2016) Asia-Pacific Security: An Introduction. WA: Georgetown Univ Press.

Craig M (2016) The Abe Restoration: Contemporary Japanese Politics and Reformation. MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Drifte R (2014) The Japan-China Confrontation Over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands: Between ‘Shelving’ and ‘Dispute Escalation. The Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus, 12 (30/3) http://apjjf.org/2014/12/30/Reinhard-Drifte/4154/article.html. Accessed on 15 November, 2016.

Elgstrom B (1988) Japan’s Quest for a Role in the World - Roles Ascribed to Japan Nationally and Internationally 1969-1982. Stockholm: University of Stockholm.

Financial Times (2015) Shinzo Abe rebuked over Japan’s stance on ‘comfort women’. 6 May. https://www. ft.com/content/a8499da0-f45e-11e4-bd16-00144feab7de?mhq5j=e4. Accessed on 7 July 2017.

Fisher-Nielsen MA (2016) Has Komeito Abandoned its Principles? Public Perception of the Party’s Role in Japan’s Security Legislation Debate. The Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus, 14 (21/3) http://apjjf. org/2016/21/Fisker-Nielsen.html. Accessed on 26 March 2017.

Hansel M, Möller M (2015) Indian Foreign Policy and International Humanitarian Norms: A Role-Theoretical Analysis. Asian Politics & Policy, 7 (1): 79–104.

Harnisch S (2011) Role theory: operationalization of key concepts. In Harnisch, S, Frank, C & Maull, H, W (Eds.), Role Theory in International Relations: Approaches and Analyses (pp. 7-15) London, NY: Routledge.

Harnisch S (2013) Role theory in International Relations Talk given at Tsinghua University. Beijing Department of International Relations. Institute of Political Science, Heidelberg University. http://www. uni-heidelberg.de/md/politik/harnisch/person/vortraege/harnisch_at_tsinghua_role_t heory_in_ir.pdf . Accessed on 30 October 2016.

Harnisch S, Bersick S, Gottwald JC (2016) China’s International Roles: Challenging or Supporting International Order?London, NY: Routledge.

Hasebe Y (2017) What comes after Japan’s constitutional amendment? East Asia Forum. http://www. eastasiaforum.org/2017/07/21/what-comes-after-japans-constitutional-amendment/. Accessed on 10 July 2017.

Hirata K (2016) Role Theory and Japanese Security Policy. In Cantir, C & Kaarbo, J (Eds.), Domestic Role Contestation, Foreign Policy, and International Relations (pp. 55 - 71) London, NY: Routledge.

Holsti KJ (1970) National Role Conceptions in the Study of Foreign Policy. International Studies Quarterly, 14 (3): 233–309.

Hosoya Y (2011) Japan in Search of a New International Identity. Nippon.com. http://www.nippon.com/en/features/c00201/. Accessed on 15 March 2016.

Huang D (2015) Building security and integration in the Asia Pacific. East Asia Forum. http://www.eastasiaforum. org/2015/06/13/building-security-and-integration-in-the-asia- pacific/. Accessed on 11 October 2016.

Hughes C (2015) Japan’s Foreign and Security Policy Under the ‘Abe Doctrine’. London: Palgrave Pivot.

Hughes C (2016) Japan’s ‘Resentful Realism’ and Balancing China’s Rise. Chinese Journal of International Politics, 9 (2), 109-150. https://academic.oup.com/cjip/article/9/2/109/1745011/Japan-s-Resentful-Realism-and-Balancin g-China-s. Accessed on October 2016.

Larsson E (2015) Gap widens between the LDP and Japan’s liberal Emperor. East Asia Forum. http://www. eastasiaforum.org/2015/04/08/gap-widens-between-the-ldp-and-japans-liberal-emperor/. Accessed on 10 November 2016.

Le Prestre PG (1997) Author! Author! Defining Foreign Policy Roles after the Cold War. In Le Prestre PG (Ed.), Role Quests in the Post-Cold War Era - Foreign Policies in Transition (pp. 3–14) Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

MacLeod A (1997) Japan: A Great Power Despite Itself. In Le Prestre, P G (Ed.), Role Quests in the Post-Cold War Era - Foreign Policies in Transition (pp. 88–110) Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Maslow S (2016) China and Japan Partner, rival, and enemy?. In Harnisch, S, Bersick, S & Gottwald, J-C (Eds.), China’s International Roles: Challenging or Supporting International Order? (pp. 188-206) London, NY: Routledge.

Maull WH (2011) Hegemony reconstructed? America’s role conception and its “leadership” within its core alliances. In Harnisch, S, Frank, C & Maull, H W (Eds.), Role Theory in International Relations: Approaches and Analyses (pp. 167-193) London, NY: Routledge.

McCormack G (2016) Japan: Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s Agenda. The Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus, 14 (24/1) http://apjjf.org/2016/24/McCormack.html. Accessed on 26 February 2017.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006) Japan-U.S Summit Meeting The Japan-U.S Alliance of the New Century.http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/summit0606. html. Accessed on 5 April 2016.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2008) Joint Statement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Comprehensive Promotion of a “Mutually Beneficial Relationship Based on Common Strategic Interests”. http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/china/joint0805.html. Accessed on 10 October 2016.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (2013) Current Issues Surrounding UN Peace-keeping Operations and Japanese Perspective. http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/un/pko/issues.html. Accessed on 9 April 2017.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2014a) Cabinet Decision on Development of Seamless Security Legislation to Ensure Japan’s Survival and Protect its People. http://www.mofa.go.jp/fp/nsp/page23e_000273.html. Accessed on 14 January 2017.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2014b) Regarding Discussions toward Improving Japan-China Relations. http://www.mofa.go.jp/a_o/c_m1/cn/page4e_000150.html. Accessed on 19 July 2017.

Miyamoto S, Watanabe P (2014) Towards an uncertain future? The strengthening of Japan’s autonomy in Asia-Pacific. Rev. Bras. Polit. Int. 57 (1), 98-116.

Mochizuki M (2007) Japan’s shifting strategy toward the rise of China. Journal of Strategic Studies, 30 (4-5), 739-776.

Murakami N (2015) TPP, yoyaku osuji goi sekai saidai no jiyu boekiken tanjo e [TPP has at last reached a basic agreement to create the world biggest free trade area]. Nippon.com. http://www.nippon.com/ja/genre/politics/l00134/. Accessed on 16 July 2017.

Nagy RS (2017) Japan’s new drive to rewrite constitution amid North Korea threat. Made for minds. http://www.dw.com/en/japans-new-drive-to-rewrite-constitution-amid-north-korea-threat/a-38672296. Accessed on 25 July 2017.

Nakanishi H (2015) Reorienting Japan? Security Transformation Under the Second Abe Cabinet. Asian Perspective, 39 (3): 405-421.

Pempel TJ (2015) Back to the Future? Japan’s Search for a Meaningful New Role in the Emerging Regional Order. Asian Perspective, 39 (3): 361-380.

Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. (2013) National Security Strategy December 17, 2013, 1-37. http://japan.kantei.go.jp/96_abe/documents/2013/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2013/12/18/NSSpdf. Accessed on 5 January 2017.

Pugliese G (2015) The China Challenge, Abe Shinzo’s Realism, and the Limits of Japanese Nationalism. SAIS Review, 35 (2): 45-55.

Pugliese G, Insisa A (2016) Sino-Japanese Power Politics Might, Money and Minds. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Reuters (2017) Japan hails progress in TPP trade talks, but discord raises doubts. 9 November. https://www. reuters.com/article/us-apec-summit/japan-hails-progress-in-tpp-trade-talks-but-discord-raises-doubts-idUSKBN1D90I2. Accessed on 16 November 2017.

Sakaki A (2011) Germany and Japan as Regional Actors in the Post-Cold War Era: A Role Theoretical Comparison. PhD thesis presented at University of Trier.

Sakaki A (2015) Japan’s Security Policy: A Shift in Direction under Abe? Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Berlin: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik.

Shi Y (2015) Viewing Japan’s New Security Act from the Perspective of Regional Order Construction. China Institute of International Studies. http://www.ciis.org.cn/english/2016-05/10/content_8759926.htm. Accessed on 15 September 2016.

Singh B (2016) Japan Embraces Internationalism: Explaining Japanese Security Policy Expansion through an Identity-Regime Approach. Japanese Journal of Political Science, 17 (4): 589 – 613.

Sohn Y (2015) The “Abe Effect” in Northeast Asia: The Interplay of Security, Economy, and Identity. Asian Perspective 39, 357-359.

Taniguchi T (2010) Beyond “the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity”: Debating Universal Values in Japanese Grand Strategy. Asia Paper Series. NW: The German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Yuki T (2013) Can Japan’s National Security Strategy outlive Abe?. East Asia Forum. http://www. eastasiaforum.org/2014/11/18/can-japans-national-security-strategy-outlive-abe/. Accessed on 6 April 2017.

The Australian (2014) Shinzo Abe’s ‘Sincere condolences’ for Kokoda and Sandakan. 9 July. http://www. theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/shinzo-abes-sincere-condolences-for-kokoda-and-sandakan/news-sto ry/931703f2dbc774a21e0c48d4de2f2eb9. Accessed on 10 July 2017.

The Japan Times (2014) Abe guts Article 9. 2 July. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/07/02/editorials/abe-guts-article-9/. Accessed on 3 November 2016.

The Japan Times (2016) Duterte vows not to abandon Japan on security matters as he takes more jabs as U.S. 26 October. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/26/national/politics-diplomacy/duterte-vows-not-abandon-japan-security-matters-philippine-china-ties-grow-cozy/#.WYLBjMaB2L9. Accessed on 25 July 2017.

Thies GC (2010) Role Theory and Foreign Policy. In Denmark, R A (Ed.), The International Studies Encyclopedia (pp. 6335-6356) West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

Thies GC (2014) Role Theory and Foreign Policy Analysis in Latin America. Foreign Policy Analysis, 0, 1–20.

Watanabe A (2011) An Examination of Japan’s Asia-Pacific Policy. Nippon.com. http://www.nippon.com/en/features/c00203/. Accessed on 4 February 2017.

Weston AS (2013) The Dilemma of Japan’s Proactive Pacifism in Asia. Fukuoka University review of law, 59 (2): 169-212.

Yachi S (2011) The TPP as an International Public Good. Nippon.com. http://www.nippon.com/ja/currents/d00009/. Accessed on 11 November 2015.

Yachi S (2013) Behind the New Abe Diplomacy: An Interview with Cabinet Advisor Yachi Shōtarō (Part Two) Nippon.com. http://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00090/. Accessed on 18 May 2017.

Yasutomo TD (2014) Japan’s Civil-Military Diplomacy: The Banks of the Rubicon. London, NY: Routeledge.

Zhang X (2015) China’s Perceptions of and Responses to Abe’s Foreign Policy. Asian Perspective 39, 423-439.

Zhang H (2016) Economic Relations between Japan and China in 2016. Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry. http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/columns/a01_0441.html. Accessed on 5 April 2017.

How to Cite

Debroux, T. (1). The First and Second Abe Administrations’ Foreign Policy from a Role Theory Perspective. Journal Global Policy and Governance, 6(2), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.14666/2194-7759-6-2-001

Issue

Section

Special Issue Japan