Download or read book Japan's Economic Diplomacy Towards China written by Maaike Okano-Heijmans and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economic diplomacy is intrinsically a product of internal pressures. It is positioned at the intersection of politics and economics, of the international and the domestic, and of government and other actors. Collective memory profoundly shapes Japanese identity, thereby interfering directly and indirectly with Japan's economic diplomacy. What are, then, the truths and myths behind the popular catchphrase 'cold politics, hot economics', which for many years was used to characterize Japanese-Chinese relations? Collective memory has intervened in Japan's economic diplomacy throughout the last decade, especially at times of growing anxiety in periods of transition. China's rise at the time of a domestic downturn in Japan and China's accession to the WTO were such periods. Maaike Okano-Heijmans analyses this process at three levels in this paper. First, changes at the multilateral level have the potential to inflate historical problems and undermine generally positive economic relations. This is illustrated by the China factor in Japan's regional diplomacy. Second, the intervention of collective memory in economic diplomacy occurs at the bilateral level, particularly in generally predetermined as well as ongoing negotiations. The stalling of summit meetings and slowdown in economic negotiations during Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi's tenure are a case in point. Third, in the domestic sphere, occurrences in the political field have the potential to enhance disputes and developments over historical issues. Here, politicians' personal choices and the influence of the public and of a relatively small but influential group of politically powerful lobby groups are of the utmost importance. Okano-Heijmans argues that actors engaged in Japan's economic diplomacy seem not to be sufficiently aware of, or able to shape, these processes.--Provided by publisher.