What is it about?
How should Japan's foreign policy or role in the world be characterized? Despite its economic might and high military spending, observers have often described Japan as an anomaly in world politics, as it doesn't follow the course of actions pursued by other major actors. This article offers an alternative framework, arguing that Japan has efficiently exercised power via rather subtle and discreet civilian instruments that prioritize the transmission of ideas, norms, and symbols. This "quiet power" is demonstrated through Japan's China policy over the issue of the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands in 1992.
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Why is it important?
Disagreements over territorial claims have been a common cause of armed conflicts between countries. When Japan and China clashed over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, however, why has this not been the case? Analyzing the issue from the perspective of relational power, this article not only offer an explanation but also highlights how ideational power can be influential in world politics. China's apparent desire for international recognition, for example, even enabled Japan to consolidate its claim over the islands. On the other hand, by itself, the paper also offers a first analysis into the 1992 dispute.
Perspectives
Much has changed in East Asia since 1992. Yet the ideational battle continues over the issue of Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. While the case presented in this paper is almost three-decade old, the manner of analysis may still be useful in the current climate.
Professor Linus Hagström
Swedish Defence University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Quiet power: Japan's China policy in regard to the Pinnacle Islands, The Pacific Review, June 2005, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/09512740500162923.
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