Newsletter No. 966
Research-Review
April 5, 2008

 

The following review comes from Christopher Len (Shingetsu Member No. 82). Len is affiliated with the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm. His review is offered in his independent personal capacity as a scholar of Japan-Central Asia relations.

SHORT REVIEW OF TOWNSEND AND KING ON JAPAN’S “LOSING GAME” IN CENTRAL ASIA

The November 2007 issue of the China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly contains an article titled “Sino-Japanese Competition for Central Asian Energy: China's Game to Win.” The authors are Jacob Townsend and Amy King, both of whom are research analysts at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

The title of the piece says it all. The main conclusion is that compared to Japan, China's ties with the Central Asia are more sustained, and therefore, China has the upper hand in deepening relations with the Central Asian republics. China's success is attributed to its geographical proximity, the economic ties that it has developed over the years, and the institutionalized influence of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The authors point out that China has made more progress than Japan in sourcing energy resources from Central Asia.

This article is useful in two ways: First, it informs readers of current Chinese and Japanese energy interests in the region. Second, it assesses the role of these two countries in Central Asia on a comparative and competitive basis, not only from the energy perspective, but also through their general bilateral and multilateral engagement strategies, including the use of aid as a tool for diplomatic courtship.

The full article can be found here:

Jacob Townsend and Amy King, “Sino-Japanese Competition for Central Asian Energy: China's Game to Win,” China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly, Volume 5, No. 4, November 2007, pp. 23-45.

www.isdp.eu/files/publications/cefq/07/jtak07chinajapan.pdf

China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly: www.isdp.eu/cefq.