Japan's Energy Diplomacy Towards Southeast Asia In The Context Of The South China Sea Disput

The South China Sea,has been an inalienable part of China’s territory since ancient times.However,since the South China Sea was found to be rich in oil and gas resources in the late1960 s,countries around the South China Sea,coveting the rich energy resources in the South China Sea,have laid claims to the South China Sea one after another,occupied China’s islands and reefs in the South China Sea,and stole resources from the South China Sea,leading to the emergence and escalation of disputes in the South China Sea.For Japan,there are huge economic,political and strategic interests in the South China Sea.Through energy diplomacy,Japan keeps close energy cooperation with Southeast Asian countries on oil and gas development in the South China Sea,attempting to take the opportunity to intervene in the South China Sea disputes as an "interested party in the South China Sea".Japan’s use of energy diplomacy to intervene in the South China Sea dispute shows a gradual change.In the 1960 s and 1970 s,Japan,which was extremely short of energy resources,was in the post-war economic rise stage.Driven by the domestic and foreign energy demand,Japan gradually carried out energy diplomacy activities in Southeast Asia.At that time,Japan was focused on economic development and did not pay attention to the emerging South China Sea dispute.Along with the development of disputes,the South China Sea claimants in Southeast Asia intend to gain huge economic benefits from the South China Sea.In the 1980 s and 1990 s,the improvement of energy development potential in the South China Sea aroused the attention of Japan,and Japan cooperated with some Southeast Asian countries in the development,which initially involved the South China Sea energy.Around this time,Japan began to pay attention to the South China Sea issue.Since the 21 st century,in order to expand the scale of energy exploitation in the South China Sea,the claimants in Southeast Asia have continuously increased their military forces in the South China Sea to ensure their control over the illegally occupied islands and reefs,which has escalated the dispute.In this context,Japan accelerated its energy diplomacy in Southeast Asia,grabbed a large amount of South China Sea energy,and actively intervened in the South China Sea disputes.Japan intends to intervene in the South China Sea dispute as an "interested party" through energy diplomacy.This shows that Japan’s energy diplomacy activities with Southeast Asian countries have already overflowed the scope of economic purposes.The real intention of Japan’s intervention in the South China Sea issue is not only to obtain the energy needed for economic development,but also to compete with China in maritime development and check China’s maritime development.Based on this,Japan has always regarded itself as a regional power when it comes to the South China Sea disputes,hoping to have the right to speak and establish its image as a "great power" to the outside world.This is the post-war Japan "great power" consciousness to recover and develop important performance.But Japan’s attempt to intervene in the South China Sea dispute through energy diplomacy also faces some difficulties under the current situation.In resolving the South China Sea issue,China should pay attention to these issues,exclude interference from countries outside the region,such as Japan,and adhere to the peaceful settlement of the South China Sea issue.