英文摘要 |
Japan’s economic diplomacy involves not only its international relations but also internal political and economic structures. However, the effects of the latter on economic diplomacy policy remain unclear. This paper clarifies this relationship and identifies the important role played by Japan’s “iron triangle,” comprised of the politicians, bureaucracy and big business/special interest groups, in the sphere of economic diplomacy. Using a comparative political economy approach to Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) loan policy toward China since 1972, this paper also demonstrates that the formation and changes of political coalitions strongly influence decision making in Japan’s economic foreign policy. The conclusion is that two factors decide how this policy changes, namely, the interests of fundamental construction and affinity toward China. |