Comparing And Analyzing Differences Between Japan-ASEAN And China-ASEAN In The Dependence Of Trade

The growth of economy have been rapid and the strength have been growing inrecent years in ASEAN. At the same time ASEAN plays an important role in theAsia-Pacific region, and have a great influence in Asian affairs. So the countries inthe ASEAN have been the hottest countries that other countries are longing forbecoming partners with. China and Japan are driven by their own interests and theywant to establish good relationship with ASEAN and cooperate with these countries.Through deep analysis of the relationship among the three, we can find that it isconducive to build a peaceful and stable environment for this region and help Chinato develop good-neighborly foreign relations.The development of economy and trade relationship between China and ASEANhas three characteristics: sustaining, healthy and stable, bilateral relations of economyand trade have been closer and closer. Both of them started economy and tradeexchanges in the early1990s, opening a trade and economic cooperation between them.In1997, the financial crisis happened in the south-east of Asia. Compared with othercountries in Asia, the crisis made a small influence to China, in addition, China had setup an example of "responsible large country" for Southeast Asian countries. Thepeople and the governments were impressed by the actions of China. At the21stcentury, the cooperation between China and ASEAN was developed widely. TheChinese leaders and the ASEAN leaders held the fifth meeting in2001.Both of themmade a conclusion that they have been would establish an area in a decade in whichChina and ASEAN can make free trade and provide more convenience for their trade,and they proposed to establish a framework of economic cooperation of the ASEAN10+1. By the joint efforts of both sides, the China-ASEAN free trade area wasestablished in2010. And the amount of trade between them continue increased. In1990, the value of trade between China and ASEAN was$7.4billion, only one-tenthof the trade volum between Japan and ASEAN. The volume trade between China and ASEAN was more than the value of trade between Japan and ASEAN in2009for thefirst time. And the gap is becoming larger and larder. In2011, China and ASEAN tradevolume reached$302.2billion, Japan and ASEAN trade was only$255billion. Theamount of trade between China and ASEAN have been increased forty times in tenyears, while the value trade between Japan and ASEAN has been increase only fourtimes. So, we can conclude that the relationship between China and ASEAN hasgreater potential. In comparison, Japan ’s trade with ASEAN started earlier than China.Compared with China, Japan started trade with ASEAN in earlier years. In1967, theASEAN was established. Then, Japan developed a close relationship with ASEAN ineconomy and trade. They had no energy to attend development the relationship ofeconomy and trade with ASEAN. This created a favorable external condition forJapanese. And with ample capitals, and excellent geographical conditions, Japanesehave more abilities to expand and consolidate its power in the ASEAN market.However, in the1990s, Japan faced the internal and external challenges. The economyhad been slow down and the government did their best to overcome the economiccrisis. So they have no abilities to maintain the strength in the economic and tradecooperation;China and the United States begun to pay their attentions to thedevelopment of trade with ASEAN countries, which played an impact on Japan. Theanalysis of the data in recent ten years, we can conclude that the dependence of tradebetween China and ASEAN has been greatly improved, while the dependence betweenJapan and ASEAN enhanced very slowly. For the dominance of economic cooperationin Asia, both Japan and ASEAN want to get it, while China is leaning to the latter,which also deepened the economic interdependence between China and ASEAN tosome extent. This paper outlines the involved theories, followed by analysis of thecharacteristics of the ASEAN-Japan trade relations. Analyzing the strengths of Chinaand then give some suggestions in order to make better development of bilateral trade.