Japan’s Foreign Policy Toward Indonesia After Asian Financial Crisis

As a major country in the Southeast Asian Region and leading country of the ASEAN,Indonesia became increasingly attractive in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, due to its economic development. Though separated with China by sea, Indonesia holds an important position in China’s foreign relations. In addition, it is a significant partner among China’s strategic partners during the establishment of “21st century Maritime Silk Road”. Japan is a crucial neighboring country of China, but the competition between both parties are becoming more and more fierce on the ground of territorial dispute and problems left over by history. However, Japan is the early country establishing diplomatic relationship with Indonesia, therefore has obtained achievements through its foreign policy. Consequently, studies concerning Japan’s foreign policy toward Indonesia can help provide China with lessons and references as China is developing its relationship with Indonesia, and are conducive to grasping more information during the competition with Japan over the region at the same time.To begin with, the article briefly reviewed and analyzed Japan’s foreign policy toward Indonesia. Up till 2015, Japan’s foreign policy toward Indonesia has undergone several phases like the restoring of the bilateral relations during the “Compensation Diplomacy”, further development of the bilateral relations during the “Fukuda Period”, and crisis during the Asian Financial Crisis and its resolution. Later, the paper mainly analyzed Japan’s current foreign policy toward Indonesia and factors that affected its foreign policy. Currently, goal and emphasis of Japan’s foreign policy toward Indonesia are consistent with its concrete measures by and large, in order to gain economic benefits, energy resources, political guarantee and security coordination.Nevertheless, principal factors which have affected Japan’s foreign policy toward Indonesia include change of Japan’s national strength, that of international environment, the geographical locations and resource endowment of both countries. In the end, the article briefly analyzed the influence on China, exerted by Japan’s foreign policy toward Indonesia, and inspirations. On one hand, Japan is competing fiercely with China in Indonesia, and it is conspicuous that Japan intends to curb China with Indonesia. On the other hand, China should avoid problems which haveemerged in Japan’s foreign policy toward Indonesia, and draw on its successful experience.