American and Chinese vectors of the japanese foreign policy under the premiership of Junichiro Koizumi (years 2001-2006)

Abstract

Th e article defi nes the essence, peculiarities and results of Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro’s foreign policy concept (2001–2006) in the context of Tokyo’s relations with Washington and Beijing at the beginning of the 21st century. Th e methodological bases of the study are the principles of historicism, objectivity and systematicity, as well as diff erent methods. Problem-chronological became the principal method. Th e methods of content analysis, expert assessments were also applied. Th e scientifi c novelty lies in the attempt to comprehensively study the main vectors of the Japanese (American and Chinese) government’s foreign policy activities at the beginning of the 21st century, to determine their content and specifi cs of implementation, and to establish their consequences. Conclusions. It has been established that as Prime Minister, Koizumi paid close attention to the American vector of foreign policy, and as a result, Japan’s relations with the United States improved considerably. Th e strengthening of Japan’s crisis-response mechanism, and its positive experience of participation in overseas operations, helped the country gradually achieve the status of an equal ally of the United States. Simultaneously, there has been a strain on Japan-China relations. It has been established that China’s dissatisfaction with Koizumi’s policies stemmed fi rstly from his focus on strengthening the Japanese-American alliance and secondly from the Prime Minister’s own behaviour, which was seen as disrespecting the national feelings of the Chinese (“war of nerves”). As a result, China’s offi cial policy was aimed at condemning Koizumi’s actions and limiting intergovernmental contacts. As a result, during his premiership, there was no fundamental convergence in the assessment of the historical past and relations between the two countries, which was damaging to both of them in the end.