Abstract
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is undoubtedly an important economic and geopolitical player in the Central, East and South Asia regions, bringing together countries of different size and potential. This is primarily about the economy and energy sectors, but the military-strategic partnership within the framework of the association shouldn’t be ignored too. Japan does not have a coherent policy towards the SCO as a single structure, at least it is not reflected in official documents, but individual member States are of significant interest. These are mainly Russia and China, and Russia is considered as one of the chief energy resources suppliers, which contributes to the implementation of the Japanese concept of energy security, aimed at maximum diversification of supply geography. China is regarded as one of the largest buyers of Japanese high-tech industrial products and an exporter of coal. The countries of the Central Asian region, which are rich in energy resources and do not have sufficient financial and technological capabilities to explore them, are also attracting more and more attention from Japan, but there is great competition with Chinese companies. India and Pakistan, that joined the SCO in 2017, are important for Japan as a counterweight to China’s expansion in South Asia and also markets for Japanese nuclear power plant construction technologies and various types of renewable energy generators. All in all, Japanese energy policy towards the SCO member States is balanced and flexible, but the presence of certain geopolitical contradictions with the founders of the organization still hinders the building of a meaningful multilateral dialogue, although options for involving Japan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization periodic work, for instance, in the observer status, have been repeatedly voiced.
Highlights
China like Japan belongs to the states with a deficit of its own primary energy resources, that are necessary to provide the growing economic and energy needs
The main directions of energy cooperation between the countries are aimed at both supplying equipment and materials and exchanging technologies in various energy sectors, including mining operation, electric power and mechanical engineering, etc
At the events listed above, both major energy projects were discussed, and issues of cooperation in the development of electric grid infrastructure in Russia together with Japanese companies, especially in remote Northern regions, the construction of low-power nuclear power plants and power plants based on renewable energy sources
Summary
China like Japan belongs to the states with a deficit of its own primary energy resources, that are necessary to provide the growing economic and energy needs. Since the early 2000s, China has been actively importing technologies for the renewable energy development, and Japan has consistently participated in this process. Until 2017 Japan has invested more than 200 million USD in China's renewable energy, with most of this amount was made up of loans for the purchase of appropriate materials from Japanese companies. The recent Forum was held in Tokyo in December 2019 This platform is of great importance for the development of the energy dialogue between the two largest economies in Asia as well as the meeting point for politicians, economists, business and research representatives. Tokyo stands for the so-called "new Atlanticism", which has covered the Pacific Ocean, and aims to build long-term partnerships with countries that are wary of Chinese expansion (Australia, Canada, India, and some Latin American states). Russian is one of the first countries in this emerging system [6]
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