In view of the drastic changes in the international situation, Japan has made major adjustments to its foreign policy from its own strategic interests. The Japanese government has repeatedly stressed that the Asia-Pacific region is vital to its peace and prosperity. Especially since the 1990s, Japanese news media have been clamoring for "leaving the United States to enter Asia" and "leaving Europe to enter Asia". The Japanese government clearly put forward that "Asia-Pacific is the basic policy of Japan's diplomacy" and regards Asia-Pacific as the starting point and the end result of realizing the goal of a political power. ▲ Japan's Asia-Pacific diplomatic measures mainly include the following three aspects.
First of all, with economic strength as the backing, vigorously carry out economic diplomacy.
● Since the late 1980s, 60% of the Japanese government's development assistance has been concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, and 70% of Japan's overseas direct investment has also been concentrated in this region. Japan's economic assistance to the Asia-Pacific region has always accounted for more than 62.5% of its total foreign economic assistance. More than 60% of Japan's exports and more than 55% of its imports are also carried out in the Asia-Pacific region. From 65438 to 0995, the total economic and trade volume between Japan and the Asia-Pacific region accounted for more than 70% of its total foreign trade, and several major trading partners were concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region. ▲ With the increase of Japan's economic assistance to Asian countries and the strengthening of bilateral economic and trade relations between Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, Asian countries' criticism of Japan has obviously decreased, and many countries have responded positively to various specific ideas of Japan's Asia-Pacific cooperation. Some countries also explicitly welcome Japan to "play an important role" in Asia and the world.
▲● Second, vigorously carry out political diplomacy and actively participate in Asia-Pacific affairs. In recent years, Japan has comprehensively adjusted its Asia-Pacific strategy and launched an all-round diplomatic offensive. In Japan-US relations, the sharp contradiction in the early 1990s has been changed, and political and military cooperation has been continuously strengthened. Japan-China relations continue to develop in the process of adjustment; Japan-Russia relations are constantly improving and developing. Japan's relations with Southeast Asian countries have been strengthened; While developing cooperative relations with South Korea, Japan actively seeks to improve relations with North Korea. With energy diplomacy as the leading factor, the relationship between Japan and Central Asian countries has entered a period of development. Japan's relations with South Asian countries have also developed greatly in recent years. From August 6 to August 26, 2000, Japanese Prime Minister Mori Yoshiro visited Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Nepal, which further strengthened Japan's relations with South Asian countries. In the process of actively participating in regional organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the ASEAN Regional Forum, Japan has put forward some major policy proposals from time to time, which has had a certain impact on the operation of these organizations. In recent years, Japan has also held some international and regional political and security cooperation and consultation meetings with Tokyo as the stage, which has had an impact on the development of international and regional affairs. Japan's Asia-Pacific diplomacy has obvious strategic intention to compete with the United States for dominance. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japan and the United States clashed over whether the economic development in the Asia-Pacific region was a "flying geese economic structure" led by Japan or a "departmental economic model" led by the United States. Since the mid-1990s, new frictions have emerged between Japan and the United States on a series of issues, such as APEC integration, the Korean Peninsula, the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the Asia-Pacific security mechanism. Some important people in Japan publicly pointed out: "In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan is the first country that can compete for the dominance of the Asia-Pacific region."
▲ Third, strengthen military diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region and expand Japan's military influence. Japan attaches great importance to military diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region while carrying out all-round political diplomacy. 1In June, 1992, the Japanese government first put forward the idea of establishing a security dialogue organization in the Asia-Pacific region, emphasizing that establishing a security guarantee mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region is an important condition for realizing Japan's Asia-Pacific strategy. ▲● 1994, Japan not only started a security dialogue with China, Russia and South Korea, but also put forward the idea of establishing a "Northeast Asia Regional Forum" including Japan, the United States, Russia, China, South Korea and North Korea on165438+120 October. ▲● Starting from 1995, Japan launched military diplomacy with Russia, China, South Korea and other countries in an all-round way. 1The White Paper on Defense published in July 1997 edited a special edition for the first time, and once again stressed the need to establish a multilateral security system in the Asia-Pacific region similar to the ASEAN Regional Forum through military diplomacy.
▲●2. Engage in UN diplomacy and strive to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
After entering the 1990s, with the drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia replaced the Soviet Union and inherited the permanent seat of the Security Council, and the world situation has undergone tremendous changes. These changes have made Japan more dissatisfied with its current position and role in the United Nations and eager to seek a permanent seat in the United Nations. According to Japan's logic, it is unreasonable that Japan, as an economic power, does not have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. In order to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council at an early date, Japan's UN diplomacy has mainly taken the following four measures:
▲ First, all parties canvassed votes and actively ran for non-permanent members. Japan believes that being elected as a non-permanent member is the first step towards permanent membership, so it will try its best to run for non-permanent membership whenever it has the opportunity. ▲ Up to now, Japan has been elected as a non-permanent member for eight times, making it the country with the largest number of elections in the world.
▲ The second is to use various occasions and various propaganda media to create public opinion for Japan to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. ▲● As early as 199 1 September, Foreign Minister Sun Yat-sen put forward the request of becoming a permanent member of the Security Council on behalf of the Japanese government at the 46th session of the General Assembly, and established the policy of "striving to become a permanent member of the Security Council within five years".
▲199265438+1October 3 1, Gong Ze made an intriguing speech at the first UN Security Council summit, implying that Japan hopes to obtain a permanent seat on the Security Council. He said: "Since the Security Council is the center of the United Nations efforts to maintain international peace and security, we should thoroughly consider how to adjust its functions, composition and other aspects to make it more reflect the reality of the new era." . 1992 1 65438+1October 21day, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in 1995, the Japanese government formally determined the basic policy of striving to become a permanent member of the Security Council. 1In July 1993, the Japanese government drew up a proposal for the reform of the UN Security Council with the basic goal of becoming a permanent member of the Security Council. ▲ 1993 Hosokawa Morihiro said in his speech at the conference: "Japan is ready to do its utmost to perform its duties in the reformed United Nations". 1in may, 1994, haneda said when meeting with balladur: "the United nations needs reform, and it is necessary to increase the number of permanent members of the security Council. Japan is playing a role suitable for becoming a permanent member in political, economic and other fields. If Japan can become a permanent member, it will do its utmost to perform its duties. "
▲● Third, increase financial contributions to the United Nations and actively participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations. At present, Japan is the second largest financial burden of the United Nations after the United States, accounting for 13.95% of the total budget of the United Nations, and plans to increase it to 15.6% in the next few years. In addition, the Japanese government has provided a lot of assistance to United Nations peacekeeping operations and actively participated in them. Since the spring of 199 1, Japan has sent peacekeeping troops to the Gulf region, Cambodia, Mozambique, Rwanda and the Syrian Golan Heights. The Japanese government has decided that it will participate more in peacekeeping operations in the future according to the needs of the United Nations.
▲ Fourth, strengthen cooperation with United Nations personnel and strive to control important United Nations institutions. Japan attaches great importance to cooperation with United Nations personnel. The Economic and Social Council is the most important organization in the United Nations after the Security Council, and Japan has been elected as a member of the Council almost continuously. ▲● Akashi, Oda Shigeru and Sadako Ogata are the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, judges of the International Court of Justice and senior officials of UNHCR respectively. It can be seen that Japan's influence in the United Nations is constantly expanding. Although Japan will still face many obstacles and difficulties, its efforts to become a permanent member of the Security Council will not be relaxed. At the same time, Japan strives to build a multipolar system of Japan, the United States, China, Russia and Europe, trying to make itself an important pole in the multipolar world pattern.