Japan's security policy toward the 21st century

Abstract

The mutual cooporation between Japan and the UK was reaffirmed by the recent meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto and British Prime Minister Blair through the Action Agenda adopted in 1996 and agreed on the ‘Japan‐UK Common Vision for the 21st Century’. In this article Mr Masahiro Akiyama outlines Japanese security policy in the Pacific. He assesses the Asia‐Pacific regional situation, referring to its recent economic and financial crisis, the role of China, Russia, the UK and the US in the region and discusses Japan's defence policy, which endeavours to foster a more stable security environment in the Asia‐Pacific. He confirms Japan's commitment to contribute to regional stability through adherence to the Three Non‐Nuclear Principles of not possessing, not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons’, as well as the three principles which prohibit Japan's arms exports. He believes this is a fundamental basis for future regional security, together with the Japan‐US security arrangements.