Japan in the Asia-Pacific Region at the Present Stage

The current graduate paper studies the role of Japan in the Asia-Pacific region through the prism of its activities, interstate relations in Northeast Asia, where the key partners of the country are China and the Republic of Korea, and Japan-ASEAN relations. The association of Southeast Asian countries at this stage is one of the leading economies in the world. Japan continued to be the main force in Pacific Asia for many years, however, after the global crisis of 2008, which did not affect the PRC economy much, its status was slightly shaken, as the countries of the region saw Beijing as a more stable development model. The analysis of Japan's foreign policy in the region has demonstrated that its Southeast Asian vector is quite successful and promising: the country successfully offers financing for development projects of ASEAN countries (primarily Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar), which will allow it to be influential in this region. The future of Japan's leadership in the APR and its image, however, is ambiguous: the key front remains vulnerable in terms of contentious issues.