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Japan

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As the international system undergoes a major overhaul, Japan is emerging as one pillar of the multilateral rules-based order. Despite being often perceived as a declining country, it remains the world's third largest economy and, as a member of the RCEP, CP-TPP and the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, plays a key role in trade liberalization and norms shaping. In recent years, Tokyo has also demonstrated a proactive diplomacy, especially in the Indo-Pacific area where it is one of the core stakeholders. In this regard, Japan has become a major partner for Europe and for France. 

Through its research activities, Ifri's Center for Asian Studies aims to provide a better understanding of Japan's action in the world and to foster the dialogue and cooperation between France and Japan.

Céline PAJON

Research Fellow, Head of Japan Research, Coordinator of the Program on Pacific Islands,
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John SEAMAN

Research Fellow, Center for Asian Studies

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Françoise NICOLAS

Senior Advisor, Center for Asian Studies

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10/10/2023

As US-China rivalry reaches its peak and the likelihood of a high-intensity conflict in the region seems greater than ever, this report advocates for a pragmatic recalibration of France’s strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. This adjustment should be grounded in a realistic reframing of...

20/06/2023
By: Céline PAJON, Eva PEJSOVA, Brad GLOSSERMAN

Japan and the European Union are increasingly aligned on international economic policies, the product of a similar outlook toward China – concerned without being overtly hostile – and worried about over-reach by the United States.

16/09/2022

Addressing remotely the 8th Japan-Africa TICAD Summit held in Tunis between August 27th and 28th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged $30 billion in public and private contributions to the African continent over the course of the next three years. This is a quite a remarkable...

18/05/2022

Laying the foundation for the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held talks on 28 March 2022 with ministers from 50 African nations. Hayashi expressed concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine had...

11/05/2022
By: Céline PAJON, Eva PEJSOVA

The war in Ukraine has shaken the foundations of European security and of the global rules-based order. In many ways, Russia’s aggression has been a wake-up call for the EU, adding a sense of urgency to its ongoing transformation to becoming a stronger geopolitical actor, materialised by the...

29/09/2021

For anyone who still harbored doubts, Washington made crystal clear from the announcement of the new trilateral alliance with Australia and the UK (AUKUS) that countering China is its number one priority, and that it will do whatever it takes to succeed. Much has been said about the...

20
Oct
2023
Friday 20 October 2023
from 09:30 to 17:00 - Conférences

Annual Conference of Ifri's Center for Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies. As strategic competition becomes an increasingly dominant feature of the international system today, the “de-risking” of interdependent economic ties has emerged as a new mantra for managing geopolitical uncertainty.

22
Sep
2022
Thursday 22 September 2022
from 09:00 to 17:00 - Conférences

Annual conference of Ifri's Center for Asian Studies. The war in Ukraine has marked the return of high-intensity conflict in Europe and represents a profound, structural shift in the region’s strategic environment. It also takes place against a backdrop of a decades-long...

11/05/2023
By: Céline PAJON, quoted by Maria Siow in the SCMP

While the impact of Kishida’s tour is ‘marginal, it can still send ‘a message of solidarity’ that it intends to take the continent’s concerns seriously. Getting the African countries to take active measures against Russia will be difficult if they are not offered strong incentives in exchange,...

11/04/2023
By: Céline PAJON, quoted by Gabriel Dominguez in the Japan Times

One of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s top goals for next month’s Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima is to create a united front on issues like China and Ukraine. But finding a unified approach to dealing with Beijing’s assertiveness might have just become harder.<...>

14/03/2023
By: Marc JULIENNE, interviewed by Natasha Li for France 24

Recent US military activity in the Asia-Pacific is on the rise, including drills in the Philippines and South Korea as well as a submarine deal struck between the US and Australia. China has, meanwhile, accused the US of encircling the country. FRANCE 24 speaks with an expert to shed light on...

02/10/2022
By: Céline PAJON, cited by Maria Siow for the South China Morning Post

Japan has been investing in the continent for longer than China and applies international standards to its infrastructure financing, analysts said. Its pockets may not be as deep, but its support of good governance and democratic principles makes it a tempting development partner for...

28/06/2022
By: Céline PAJON, cited by Jesse Johnson for the Japan Times

When Prime Minister Fumio Kishida becomes the first Japanese leader to attend a NATO leaders summit on Wednesday, he’ll be looking to stress the need for unity in preventing China from taking the “wrong lessons” from the Ukraine war as the bloc looks to expand its footprint in the Indo-Pacific...