“East Asia Aids Japan”or“Japan Leads East Asia”?
Resource
政治科學論叢, 1, 167-186
Journal
政治科學論叢
Journal Issue
1
Pages
167-186
Date Issued
1990-03
Date
1990-03
Author(s)
Hsu, C.L.
Abstract
The success of contemporary Japan depends on the support of the rest of East Asia. At the same time, the current development of East Asia depends on the leading role of Japan. Now all over the world, whether in Europe, North America or South America, countries on after another are taking advantage of regional cooperation to secure economic interests. Since separating itself from East Asia and joining the ranks of the industrialized western countries, it seems time for Japan to rejoin the company of its “weak neighbors” and strive for “co-existence and co-prosperity.”East Asian support for Japan began right after the end of the 1895 Sino-Japanese War. The Treaty of Shimonoseki stipulated that China give war reparations to Japan. These reparation payments provided a substantial economic foundation for Japan’s industrialization and military build－up. In addition, Japan’s request that China pay its reparations in gold established the gold standard in Japan and made Japan a competitor in the international economic arena. At the same time, the opening of China’s market and unequal tariffs helped the rise of Japan’s foreign trade and industrial development as well as earn Japan most- favored－nation treatment. Japan’s colonization of Taiwan and Korea resolved the problem of food shortages that resulted when Japan’s agricultural population industrialized. Moreover, colonization enabled the Japanese government to expand its tax reserves. The huge funds from war reparations enabled Japanese clan－politics to develop into part－polities. Furthermore, Japan covered its expenses for the Great East Asian War by the way of a manipulation of colonial bank account and printing a lot of bank bill to buying up the goods and materials in China through the puppet regime. The rise of “Japanese empire” is related directly to the long－time support of its neighboring countries. Even after World War Ⅱ, East Asia’s contribution to Japan was substantial. At the end of the war, Japan carried countless gold bullion and precious metals from China to Japan, and printed countless bank notes to pay the Japanese officers in Taiwan. The U. S. superintended China－Japan Trade Agreement of 1950 aimed to benefit the normalization of relations between “Industrial Japan” and “Agricultural Taiwan.” This agreement forced Taiwan from 1950 to 1965 to fix fertilizer import taxes in 5% and restrained its development of the fertilizer industry. In looking for the causes of Japan’s astounding economic miracle, one usually consider the diligence of the Japanese people and American post－war economic aid, but the aid of Japan’s neighboring countries must not be overlooked. The economic development of these East Asian states overthrows the fatalism of the dependency theorists. East Asia’s strategy of borrowing foreign capital and would no be servile to it provides the impetus for the Asia Pacific role as the future economic center of the world. Economic relations between East Asia and advanced countries are changing from an exploitative vertical division of labor to a multi-level “birds－flying” structure. If we imagine a flock of birds flying in V-formation, then Japan is the bird in front, leading the rest of the flock. Japan’s hightechnology development makes it the head of the flock, or, to use another metaphor, the East Asian “dragon.” The rapid industrialization of the so－called “Four Little Dragons” (Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore). Makes them the second row of birds in the V－formation. Following Singapore’s model of development, the ASEAN Nations make up the third row of birds, just behind the Four Little Dragons. Bringing up the rear of the flock are Mainland China, the coastal region of the Pacific Rim and the Hainan “Special Economic Zone.” The different economic development of East Asia fits well with the culturally diverse and hard－working East Asian people. It provides the advantageous conditions of “birds flying” development in the flock of East Asian states. A nation’s prosperity need not sacrifice other nation’s interest as a cost of development. Is it just accord with Japan’s spirit of “mutual existence and mutual prosperity”? Under the pressure of America’s protectionism, the Japanese yen rose in value and triggered the spread of Japanese capital and technology to the “Newly Industrialized Economies.” The rise of the New Taiwan Dollar and economic progess in the NIES has led to further such spread of capital and technology to other industrializing Asian countries. This spreading of capital and industrialization through East Asia has at the same time strengthened relations between Asian countries. If each Asian countries cooperates and develops as “birds flying” in the future, then the 21st century really will become the so－called “Asian Century.”Japan is the only nation in Asia to have reached the stage of imperialism. The “Great Japanese Empire” once encompassed Mainland China, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. The capital, market and manpower of East Asia aided Japan’s modernization, enabling Japan to become the forerunner of Asia. After World War Ⅱ, Japan again depended on America’s protection policy and the support of its East Asian neighbors to create the current “Japanese Miracle.” How does Japan use the concept of balancing supply and demand as a blueprint for development in the Asian Pacific? How does this plan affect the Soviet Union and Mainland China, both lacking in daily consumer goods? These are questions that deserve deep consideration.
Type
journal article