Japan and the Asian Pacific Region

This book, first published in 1984, examines the spectacular economic growth of the Asia Pacific region in the 1970s and 1980s. How did a group of non-Western nations, in an area plagued by war, achieve such success, so quickly? Japan was the driving force in the region, and a dominant influence on the world economy, but had no clearly defined role in the politics of the region or the world. This book considers Japan's position, the problems it faced and how it perceived and responded to events in the region. It provides clues to understanding the basic pattern of Japan's relations, its evolving role in the region and the world, and how this role might develop in the future.

Inhalt

1. Introduction 2. Cold War in Asia: The Formative Years 2.1. The Korean War 2.2. The Polarization of Japan 2.3. The Emergence of Economism 2.4. The Vietnam War 2.5. Lessons of the War 3. Asia Goes Multipolar 3.1. Change in Indonesia 3.2. The Birth of ASEAN 3.3. Japan's Growing Involvement in the Region 3.4. Détente and Balance-of-Power Politics 3.5. Dilemma in the Korean Peninsula 3.6. A Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality 4. Japan in the 1970s 4.1. Sino-Japanese Relations 4.2. Discord in US-Japanese Relations 4.3. Anti-Japanese Movements in Southeast Asia 4.4. The Oil Shock 5. A New Paradigm of Relations 5.1. The Bali Summit 5.2. The Defence Debate in Japan 5.3. Japan's 'Equidistance' Diplomacy 5.4. The Fukuda Doctrine 6. Persistent Conflicts and Communism in Asia 6.1. Indochina 6.2. The Korean Peninsula 6.3. Hong Kong 6.4. Communism in Asia 7. The Regional Economy and Interdependence with Japan 7.1. ASEAN 7.2. Pacific Economic Cooperation 7.3. Japan's Involvement in the Regional Economy 8. Japan's Place in the World 8.1. Isolation 8.2. Dependence 8.3. Security 8.4. Regional Relations 8.5. Economism Whither?