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Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
Author : Yu. Raikov
Academician, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Doctor of Science (History)
THE MYSTIFYING TITLE is merely a state-
ment that everything is possible in international
relations even if recently a full-scale cooperation
between Russia and Japan looked unreal.
Today, they are pushed aside by the U.S. and rap-
idly developing China and play only the second
fiddle in the APR political context.
China is steadily pushing the United State out of
East Asia and is narrowing down the field of ma-
neuver for Japanese diplomacy very much irritated with China's aggressive struggle for the
APR markets and natural resources.
Today, Japan, once more in its history, is facing a challenge: survival in the present far from
simple multipolar international system dominated by stronger powers. In fact, survival is
one of the most typical features of Japan's foreign policy. As distinct from the other great
powers, throughout its history Japan has been treating all changes as objective reality and
demonstrating a lot of pragmatism when trying to adjust.
The past and the present problems have been forgotten; Tokyo believes that successful
cooperation with Moscow will make Russia a real pivot in the struggle against Chinese
hegemony.
Japan relies on the following arguments. First, Russia is a great power with big resources
and military potential and a permanent member of the UN SC. Under certain conditions,
its support for one of the conflicting sides in East Asia may tip the balance of power in
its favor. Second, closer cooperation will supply Japan with raw materials and power
sources. The unfolding competition on the Russian market between China and South
Korea supplies the Japanese with a chance to realize megaprojects in Russia's eastern parts.
Third, Russia is a capacious consumer market for Japanese industrial goods. Fourth, China's
strengthening suggests that Japan should pour more efforts into competition on the Russ-
ian market; it should prevent a possibility of turning Russia into China's resource base
with a practically unlimited access to the natural riches of Russia's Far East. Fifth, involved
in economic development there Japan could expand the program of modernization of
partner relationships. Sixth, Japan is aware of the fact that today the main strategic chal-
lenges are created by the U.S. and China and, possibly later, by reunited Korea. This means
that Japan will be left in the cold if any of the three or all of them together get stronger,
Russia and Japan: Drawn to Cooperate