EVOLUTION OF JAPAN’S APPROACHES TO MULTILATERAL FORMATS FOR ENSURING INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the evolution of Japan’s international security policy with an emphasis on its approach to multilateral interaction formats. The research methodology includes a historical approach to identifying and analyzing longterm trends, as well as theoretical research methods: analytical, logical, comparative, and applied methods of political science analysis. The results of the study are presented in three chronological sections, the author analyzes Japan’s approaches to multilateral formats of ensuring international security in the successive Versailles-Washington, Yalta-Potsdam and modern systems of international relations. Japan’s participation in the League of Nations and the creation of its own military-political bloc during World War II, as well as post-war changes caused by the adoption of a pacifist constitution and the establishment of close ties with the United States are considered in the historical context. It is noted that at the present stage, Japan is focused on the integral containment of the PRC and, for this purpose, intends to strengthen ties with like-minded states. The discussion provides the author’s interpretation of the current National Security Strategy of Japan, demonstrating the hidden goal of involving ASEAN in containing China. In conclusion, it is shown that Japan’s attitude to multilateral formats for ensuring international security has been changing depending on the foreign policy situation, and it is impossible to state that there is a linear trend at the moment. The author also emphasizes the role of Japan as an agent of American policy in East Asia.