Japan and Geo-Economic Regionalism in Asia: The Rise of TPP and AIIB

Abstract
This lecture examines the reasoning behind Japan’s engagement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, (TPP) and non-commitment to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) despite persistent requests by China for its participation. It does this by illustrating Japan’s increasingly assertive balancing behaviour with the United States vis-à-vis China amidst the ongoing Sino-U.S. power struggle over Asian geo-economic regionalism. Japan’s attempt to strengthen its relations with the United States through this institutional balancing act sharply contrasts with South Korea which decided to join the China-led AIIB despite America’s strong opposition while failing to become a founding member of the TPP. This lecture aims to elucidate factors conducive to Japan’s regional behaviour.

About the Speaker
Takashi Terada is a Professor of International Relations at Dōshisha University, Kyoto. His areas of specialty include international political economy in Asia and the Pacific, theoretical and empirical studies of Asian regionalism and regional integration, and Japanese politics and foreign policy. His articles have appeared in journals such as The Pacific Review and his book in Japanese entitled East Asian and Asia-Pacific Regional Integration: Institutional and Normative Competitions among Greatpowers was published by University of Tokyo Press (2013).