英文摘要 |
Japan is in a unique position as the major industrial country in Asia, and as such it has a duty to offer initiatives to the rest of the world. There will be a greater chance of building a more balanced world if Japan gives voice to a vision from its Asian vantage point. Even after ceding its much-vaunted status as the world's No.1 aid donor to the United States in 2001, Japan has managed to hold on to the less prestigious but yet comfortable No.2 position. As one of the largest ODA donors in the world, Japan participates in this global aid approach with considerable unease. Majority of Japan's development officials and economists think the World Bank approach imposes too much procedural uniformity including the promotion of nascent industries under international integration. With its own ODA budget on the decline, Japan is currently reviewing its ODA strategy. This paper proposes an alternative objective: sustaining Asian dynamism and trying to gain the regional leadership. This must be pursued in a way that does not exclude economies outside East Asia. External economic policies including ODA, trade and investment policies should be redirected toward this goal, in addition to global common concerns such as poverty and environment. Under the framework, Japan's existing aid portfolio can be reinterpreted, justified and expanded. |