Evolution of Japan’s official development assistance amidst great power competition in the Indo-Pacific: 1992 onwards

Abstract

Japan's foreign and security policies are becoming increasingly aligned due to the growing great power rivalry sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's rise to prominence. This paper examines how these developments have impacted the Official Development Assistance (ODA) policy, which the Japanese government considers an essential diplomatic tool. The securitisation of ODA, or the use of ODA to further Japan's national security objectives, is the biggest change. In 1992, the ODA Charter was established which makes this period relevant to study the evolution of Japan’s ODA. The development of Official Security Assistance (OSA), which seeks to support Japan's security objectives by enhancing the deterrent power of developing nations embroiled in territorial conflicts with China, indicates this trend.Notably, Japan is using the defence of the universal value of the international rule of law to support this new trend in ODA. Stated differently, Japan is reorienting its assistance to emphasize the rule of law in international interactions rather than the internal problems of democracy and human rights in each receiving country. This reflects Japan's attempt to maintain universal ideals while minimizing the possibility of upsetting the regimes in power in recipient nations with dubious histories of domestic governance.

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