The rising importance of shared political values in contemporary Japan - European Union relations

Abstract

While observing the rising of the Pacific as the new geo-strategic epicenter of international politics, the concept of ‘Soft Power’ gained more attention from Japanese, Chinese, and Korean foreign policy experts and decision makers. When considering the Japanese case study, its domestic, foreign, defense and security policies may all encompass a soft power dimension given Japan’s unique political values, foreign policy legitimacy and culture. Similarly, the European Union is often pointed as a civilian power with valuable soft power assets, a global actor which uses its prestige and reputation in the international community as a fundamental foreign policy tool. Simultaneously, both the EU and Japan are facing considerable political, economic and security challenges in the 21st century, which require increased cooperation through traditional and innovative diplomatic tools. Soft power resources can be shared and used in a cooperative fashion by both political actors. The EU, with its successful history of integration from the Treaties of Rome to the Treaty of Lisbon – an event that gave rise to the ‘post-modern World’ - is facing its biggest challenges so far, e.g. with the euro crisis. Similarly, Japan’s position in the world today is the result of challenging external and domestic conditions: an aging population, a debt-to-GDP ratio over 200% and the rise of China. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to assess and analyze how important are shared political values for both Japan and the European Union’s foreign policy strategies and bilateral relations, taking into account the ongoing changing distribution of power not only in East Asia but also at a global level. The focus of this paper will underline the similarity between EU’s and Japan’s political values, and how their combined soft power resources may contribute to a more peaceful and democratic global order and counter-balance recent authoritarian trends.