Research On The Aid Policy Of The Second Abe Administration To South Pacific Island Countrie

The South Pacific island countries are the 14 sovereign island states in the South Pacific,persecuted by pre-colonialism and shackles of natural environment,the survival and development of these countries need to be assisted by outside for a long time.Since1960 s,Japan has begun to aid the South Pacific island countries and becomes the main aid country as well as keeps friendly relationship with them.By the end of 2012,Abe Shinzo formed a cabinet to rule,Japan revised foreign aid charter in 2015,leading to a major turning point of national aid policy.With the rising of the South Pacific region at geopolitical significance,the Abe administration has adjusted its focus on diplomacy and assistance to the South Pacific island countries accordingly.Based on the background above,this thesis develops study of the second Abe administration to the South Pacific island countries.This thesis divides the evolution of Japan’s aid to the South Pacific island countries into four stages: the initial stage from the late 1960 s to the late 1970 s,the developing stage from the early 1980 s to the mid-1990 s,the contraction stage from the mid-1990 s to 2011,and the adjustment stage from Abe’s second administration formation to the present in 2012.It can be said that the aid policy of Abe government embodies both continuity of successive Japanese governments’ aid practice as well as adjustment and creation.At the section of the motivation of foreign aid,this thesis starts with the analysis framework of social exchange theory,and argues that the natural power,institutional power,derivative power that can be used for exchange in the South Pacific Island countries are highly consistent with the strategic and security goals,political goals and economic goals of Japan’s foreign policy.However,as the game among external big-power politics happening in the South Pacific region has intensified in recent years,Abe has felt that the Japan’s long-term advantage status in the exchange framework has shaken,so he has appropriately adjusted foreign aid policy.At the section of aid content and characteristics,this thesis selects Samoa,a typical South Pacific island country,as a case,and summarizes the overall content and characteristics of the second Abe government’s aid to South Pacific island countries by analyzing the background,specific aid projects and aid effects of the second Abe government’s aid to Samoa.In general,the Abe government continues the tradition of environmental protection and climate governance assistance to the South Pacific island countries,promotes economic infrastructure construction projects,relieves military assistance through maritime security cooperation,and vigorously promotes bilateral cultural exchanges.In addition,Abe’s aid policy presents new characteristics of Abe’s period,such as Japan’s maintenance diplomacy,connecting with the UN’s SDGs,exporting Japan’s governance experience,and promoting Japan’s national marine strategy.Lastly,this thesis concludes that there are certain effects of the second Abe administration’s aid policy to the South Pacific island countries on the whole.Under the condition of long-term sluggishness in the national economy in Japan,through improving aid’s quality,Japan has offset the stagnation of aid volume,and also has realized the linking of foreign aid policy with national strategic objectives.Meanwhile,the life quality and economic development level of people living in the South Pacific Island countries have achieved obvious improvement,their international status and region’s independence have risen and begun to seek for the reform of regionalism in the South Pacific region.