Japan's Foreign Aid Policy to Angola and Mozambique

Abstract

This article compares Japan's aid policies to Angola and Mozambique since 1950. It argues that East-West rivalry prevented Japan from providing aid to them, particularly after 1975. The post-Cold War period enabled Japan to assist the countries' transitions from war to peace as part of a peacebuilding approach originating in Japan's traditional development cooperation in Asia. As recipient countries of Japanese aid, they are contrasting examples of sub-Saharan Africa reform ownership and explain why Mozambique is a priority nation to Japan in development terms while Angola, until recently, was not. The article affirms that Japanese decision-making with regard to Angola and Mozambique reflects both international pressures and domestic interests influenced by international factors and domestic changes. It concludes that the TICAD's development approach, which emphasizes the applicability of the Asian experiences in Africa, peacebuilding, and human security as a component of Japanese foreign policy, has boosted Japan's ‘soft-power’ role in the international system.