Economic Diplomacy : Japan and the Balance of National Interests

This book by Maaike Okano-Heijmans analyses the growing importance of economic diplomacy in the foreign policies of governments worldwide. Strategic challenges and practical solutions are discussed, with a special focus on the case of Japan. Cover 1 Title page 3 Full title page 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 8 List of Figures and Tables 10 A Note on Names and Transcription 12 List of Abbreviations 14 Acknowledgements 16 Preface 18 Introduction Economic Diplomacy: Japan and the Balance of National Interests 22 Overview 22 The Context: The Growing Importance of Economic Diplomacy 23 The Importance of the Japanese Experience for Understanding Economic Diplomacy 25 Some Working Assumptions 31 The Book’s Structure 33 Chapter One Conceptualizing Economic Diplomacy: Building a Framework for Research 38 Introduction 38 New Theories and Concepts 41 Towards a Better Understanding of Economic Diplomacy 46 Building a Conceptual Framework 48 Building an Analytical Framework 54 Four Fields of Literature 58 Unwarranted Intervention or a Necessary Evil? 65 Conclusions 70 Chapter Two Japan’s Economic Diplomacy Environment and Establishment 74 Introduction 74 Economics and Security in Japan’s Diplomacy and Foreign Policy 76 Unpacking Economic Diplomacy 83 Changing Role of the State 93 Conclusion 101 Chapter Three The ‘Business End’ of Japan’s Economic Diplomacy: Promoting Environmental and Energy Technology Abroad 102 Introduction 102 Economics and Security in Japan 104 Gearing to ‘Green’ 106 ‘Green’ Economic Diplomacy in Practice 110 Objectives 116 Challenges Ahead 122 Balancing National Interests: Business and Power Play 124 Conclusion 127 Chapter Four The ‘Power-Play End’ of Japan’s Economic Diplomacy: Relations with North Korea 130 Introduction 130 The Context: Japanese Action and Inaction 133 Japan’s Economic Diplomacy towards North Korea 136 Negotiating Normalization: 1991 to the Present 138 Policy Drivers 156 Conclusion 158 Chapter Five Japan’s New Economic Diplomacy: Changing Tactics or Strategy? 162 Introduction 162 The Economic Diplomacy Continuum 163 Five Strands of Japan’s Economic Diplomacy 165 Japan’s Trajectory since the 1990s 181 Conclusion 185 Conclusion Power Shift: Economic Diplomacy on the Rise 188 The Theory and Practice of Economic Diplomacy: The Findings 188 The Case of Japan in Perspective 196 An Agenda for the Future 204 Bibliography 208 Index 222 This book by Maaike Okano-Heijmans makes an important contribution to the concept of economic diplomacy. A conceptual-study mode of economic diplomacy is combined with applied analysis of Japan's economic diplomacy practice. The two approaches reinforce one another, yielding a conceptualization of economic diplomacy that is grounded in practical insights. A comprehensive approach A core argument in the book is that economic diplomacy, strategically, affirms that economic/commercial interests and political interests reinforce one another and should thus be seen in tandem. This contrasts with the predominant approach in the transatlantic world, which attaches relatively greater importance to the military-economic linkage in the quest for influence. The case of Japan Japan has employed economic diplomacy as a central instrument of its foreign policy and quest for national security since the post-war period. The reconfiguration of regional and global power that started in the 1990's encouraged the Japanese government, in coordination and cooperation with the private sector, to reassess its economic diplomacy policy. Power shifts Economic Diplomacy: Japan and the Balance of National Interests illuminates the debates underlying these shifts, the various ways by which Japan's reinvention of its economic diplomacy is implemented, and the consequences for Japanese foreign policy at large. Practical relevance The critical insights offered by the examination of Japan are pertinent for Western countries, as well as for other East Asian nations. They will be of interest to scholars and practitioners of diplomacy, international relations and international economic law and policy. This book is the ninth volume in the Diplomatic Studies series, edited by Jan Melissen and published by Brill, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. For more information see brill.com/economic-diplomacy-0 Since the 1990s, Japan's economic diplomacy has undergone fundamental changes. The reconfiguration of regional and global power encouraged the Japanese government, in coordination and cooperation with the private sector, to reassess its economic diplomacy policy. Economic Diplomacy: Japan and the Balance of National Interests illuminates the debates underlying these shifts, the various ways by which Japan's reinvention of its economic diplomacy is implemented, and the consequences for Japanese foreign policy at large. The insights presented in this book can be applied to the study of countrie