The Evolution Of Japan’s Policy To The Association Of Southeast Asian Nations

Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are both neighboring countries of China, so it will play a great role in the current development of China and the security in the East Asia for the relation development of Japan and ASEAN. Because of the background of the Cold War and the importance of the Southeast Asia, it became, especially the ASEAN, the main foreign objects of Japan in the process of Japanese diplomacy after the World War Ⅱ. After the foundation of the ASEAN in1967, Japan soon strengthened contact with it, in particular the cooperation of economic field, after a short-term watching. In November1973, it symbolized the formal establishment of the relation with Japan and ASEAN that the "ASEAN-Japan Rubber BBS" was founded. After that, particularly the Fukuda doctrine in1977, Japan had much contact with the ASEAN; they extended the cooperation field to the political field on the basis of economic cooperation. What’s more, Japan announced the basic diplomatic policy to the ASEAN in public at the first time.After the Cold War, with the great changes of the international situation, the relation of Japan and ASEAN entered a new stage of development which was a relatively stable stage. Except the policy of traditional economic and political fields, Japan and the ASEAN further expanded the security cooperation in addition, then they became closer partnership in an all-round way. What’s more, the ASEAN has become the important stage and breakthrough for Japan to play a great role in social politics and military security. So, Japan paid more attention to the cooperation with the ASEAN in the diplomatic policy, and took it as the third pillar of Japan’s diplomacy.The policy of Japan to the ASEAN is a gradual development and expansion system. It experienced a development process which was a focus on economy, both importance of politics and economy, standing out politics and strengthening the cooperation of the regional security. In the process, Japan has gradually strengthened its influence in the ASEAN areas as well as the political and military influence in international community. The policy reflected the Japanese diplomatic track after the World War Ⅱ, and at the same time it also showed us the development strategy of Japan from economic power to political power.This paper will conduct a comprehensive study on Japan-ASEAN foreign policy, and mainly discuss the development of relations between Japan and ASEAN to explain Japan’s ASEAN policy. This paper will be divided into stages to discuss Japan-ASEAN foreign policy, in order to highlight this policy’s historical evolution process. Otherwise, it will focus on main factors that influence the policy evolution of the ASEAN from the perspective of geopolitics and international politics, that is one of the focus of the article.This paper mainly consists of preface and text. The text includes four chapters:the first chapter discusses the policy of Japanese different periods which are mainly three stages that are the early period of the foundation of the ASEAN, the later period of the publishing of the Fukuda doctrine and after the Cold War. The second chapter will conclude characteristics of the policy evolution. The third chapter will focus on analysis of main factors in the evolution of the Japanese policy towards the ASEAN mainly from two aspects of the internal factors and external factors. The fourth chapter discusses the thinking of Japan-ASEAN foreign policy, which is mainly related to the existent issues and future trend of Japan-ASEAN’s foreign policy.