On the Japan-China rivalry in Africa and Latin America

The article discusses motives and directions of Japan-China rivalry in the largest regions of the developing world (DW) - Africa and Latin America (LA). Foreign economic interests of Japan and China largely coincide, and that logically creates basis for competition. Both countries suffer urgent need for energy resources, seek to diversify their finished products’ markets and to secure their hydrocarbon imports. The author describes in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the two countries in their cooperation with Africa and LA and emphasizes that, although Japan has a number of valuable advantages, China, thanks to its special financial, economic, and diplomatic assertiveness, retains undoubted leadership in the struggle for influence in the DW. The volume of Japanese trade and economic cooperation with the DW is significantly inferior to the Chinese one, but the country is taking significant steps to mitigate this situation both independently and in reliance on the partnership with other states, including India. In the political sphere, the rivalry between the two countries in the DW is caused by their strong divergence of views on territorial problems in the East and South China seas, on the issue of the UN reform, including Japan's permanent membership in the UN Security Council, and by mutual historical “grievances” as well. China and Japan wage sharp, though veiled struggle in the UN and other international structures for the voices of developing countries. And the political sphere is the one where China perceives Japan as a highly influential regional and global competitor. The author also points out a special vector of confrontation between Japan and China in the DW generated by the neighborhood of their military and logistics bases in Africa (Djibouti), parallel participation in international security activities, including provision of peaceful navigation on the sea routes along the East African coast, and the expansion of their naval presence in the Indian ocean. Finally, the article notes that Japan has to go a long way to achieve positions in the DW comparable to the Chinese ones. At the same time, the author characterizes a number of advantages that Japan possesses in comparison with China, and emphasizes that the nearest though achievable task for Tokyo in Africa and Latin America is to maintain and maximize these advantages. With the skillful approach peculiar to Japan especially in difficult times, it may become a key decision.

Japan, China, Africa, Latin America, political and economic rivalry, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), “Belt and Road” initiative (BRI), UN

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