Sino-Japanese Mutual Cognition On ODA

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is an economic and political government action of strategic importance between countries, and it is an official acts which manifests the national strategic intent and the government's foreign policies with very strong political and diplomatic considerations. With the diplomatic normalization of Sino-Japanese relations, the Japanese government began to provide development assistance to China which greatly contributed China's economic development, thus the ODA itself has become a friendship symbol between China and Japan. But with the end of the Cold War, China and Japan formed disputes over the ODA issue, and the mutual cognition between the two countries on ODA lopsided, which made Sino-Japanese relations deteriorate. In 2008, the Japanese ODA to China which had been up to nearly 30 years officially declared over. Based on the historical materials studies and the empirical analyses, this article explores the status and role of ODA in the Sino-Japanese mutual cognition and political interactions. With the use of international relations theories, the author tries to propose a theoretical basis for promoting the further development of Sino-Japanese relations.The first chapter describes the origin and the motivation of Japan's ODA. Since the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations, China gave up the war indemnities against Japan, which caused a high degree of response in Japan, so the Japan's ODA with the psychological of gratefulness emerged. Japan's ODA has not only promoted China's economic takeoff, but also greatly help Japan's economy. However, with the end of the Cold War and the following accelerated adjustment of Japanese foreign policies, the Japan's ODA gradually evolved into a tool to exert pressure on China and achieve foreign policy objectives, which led to a series of political friction between the two countries.The second chapter analyzes the current situation of Sino-Japanese mutual cognition on ODA. In the view of the Chinese officials, the ODA is an economic cooperation with psychological of compensation, and the public in China have little acquaintance with the ODA. And even some of them know about this, they don't think it necessary to publicize ODA and thank Japan. While Japan more regards the ODA as a diplomatic means to achieve its national interests, and is dissatisfied with this attitude adopted by China. Besides, Japan worry that the long-term assistance for the prospering China will pose a potential threat to itself.On the basis of the previous chapter, the third chapter explores the specific disputes on the ODA between China and Japan as well as their root causes which fall to the following aspects:the adjustment of Japan's foreign policy, the different opinions on whether ODA is an alternative to war reparations, the propaganda of the media, and the lack of mutual trust and cognition.In the basis of facts and analysis and through the integrated use of international relations theories, the conclusion chapter explores insight into the relationship between ODA and the Sino-Japanese interaction and further taps the important impact of the role of the mutual cognition in international relations. Finally, this article prospects the Sino-Japanese future relations after the ODA time.