1980年代以降の日中経済関係に対する再考察: 経済安全保障の視点から

Re-examination of Japan-China Economic Relations Since the 1980s: From the Viewpoint of Economic Security

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to re-examine the Japan-China economic relationship from the perspective of economic security, which has recently come into the spotlight. It will clarify how China and Japan’s governments and business communities perceived economic security issues, what measures they have taken, and how these measures have affected the economic relationship between them. Research design, data, and methodology: This study first defines economic security and then discusses Japan-China economic relations from the 1980s to the present in chronological order. In doing so, I use a qualitative case study approach, focusing on representative examples from each period. Statistical data from China and Japan’s official sources and the latest reports published by Japan’s major economic institutes were widely used in this study. Results: Although the term “economic security” was not used until recently, Japan-China economic relations since the 1980s have not been free from economic security. In the mid-1980s, China perceived its large trade deficit with Japan as a serious problem for its economic security. In the 2000s, the “China threat theory” emerged in Japan, and in the 2010s, the “China plus one” strategy was proposed to mitigate the vulnerability of supply chains dependent on China. In recent years, with the rapid rise of China in high technology and the increasing confrontation between the U.S. and China, there has been a growing interest in economic security in Japan’s political and business circles. Implications: Japan is currently developing an infrastructure of laws and organizations related to economic security with China in mind, but the importance of Chinese business to Japan has not fundamentally changed. How to maintain Japan’s economic security while maintaining a trade regime that is inclusive of China will be a long-term issue that the Japanese government and business community will have to face.