Japan

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Japan China

• Facts Regional Perspectives

Kitamura Takanori Consul-General of Japan
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1. Current relations

• (1) Trade in 2005
• Japan China US 189.4b 12.7 from previous
  year
• Japan US US 199.3b 5.3 from previous
  year
• (2) Investment
• Japan into China US 6.53b 19.8 from
  previous year
• 2nd after HK
• Expanding to new areas
• non-manufacturing
• auto industry
• (3) Mutual visits
• 4 million in 2005 50 over 2001
• Residents of all areas in China eligible to
  visit Japan for sightseeing

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• (4) Government-to-government contacts
• Japans joint action plan
• - youth exchange program
• - joint study group to research history
• - forum on energy saving the environment
• Comprehensive policy dialogue
• - 2006 promotion of tourism
• - 2007 promotion of culture sport

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2. Transition in last 3 decades

• Japans support of the reform and opening policy
  (since 1978)
• - ODA 3 trillion yen (HK 200b)
• - soft loans 3 trillion yen (HK 200b)
• - economic management policy
• (2) Other support
• - following the Tiananmen Square incident
  (1989)
• - Emperors state visit (1992)
• - WTO agreement (1999)

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• (3) China in the 1990s
• - Deng Xiaopings Southern Tour speech (1992)
• rapid economic growth
• development disparities,
  corruption, deterioration of party rule
• - Patriotic education partys contribution to
  the anti-Japanese war
• - Jiang Zemings state visit to Japan (1998)
• worsened Japanese perception
• - Many other incidents affecting Japanese
  perceptions

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• (4) Japan in the 1990s
• - Long recession
• Japanese less confident
• Decline of Japanese model of development
• - Assertive diplomacy in the political arena
• participation in UN peace-keeping operations
• seeking permanent membership of the UN
  Security Council

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• (5) Chinas rise
• - Economic expansion
• will exceed GDP of Japan US
• - Military build-up
• 15.3 on average in the last 18 years
• Chinas defense spending in 2005
• Announced US 30b
• Actual US 90b (US Department of
  Defense estimate)

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3. Perception Gap

• Japanese perception of China Do you like
  China?

Yes () No ()
1979 70.9 20.3
1984 74.4 19.2
1988 68.5 26.4
1989 51.6 43.1
1992 55.5 39.9
1996 51.3 45.0
2003 48.0 47.9
2004 37.6 58.2
2005 32.4 63.4
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• Chinese perception of Japan
• Do you like Japan?
• Yes 15.8
• No 74.5
• Do you know that Japan has extended economic
  assistance?
• Yes 29
• No 71

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• Recent survey in Japan
• conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Do the two countries understand each other?
• - Japan understands China, but China does not
  understand Japan 19.0
• - China understands Japan, but Japan does not
  understand China 2.3
• - Neither understands the other 62.4
• Should we improve relations?
• Yes 77.9
• No 13.5

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4. Regional perspectives

• (1) Economic integration
• - Interregional trade EU 60
• (2003) NAFTA 45
• East Asia 53
• - FTA agreements
• (2) Frameworks
• - ASEAN
• - ASEAN 3 (Japan, China, Korea)
• - ARF
• - 6-party talks
• - APEC, ASEM
• - East Asian Summit East Asian Community

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• (3) Issues in this region
• - development, financial stability,
• energy security, economic integration
• - piracy, terrorism
• - strategic dialogue, security
• (4) Global standards and universally recognized
  values
• - WTO rules
• - military transparency
• - democracy, human rights