Japan: Silk Road diplomacy

The concept of Japan’s Silk Road diplomacy was first introduced in 1997 by Hashimoto Ryutaro, a former Japanese Prime Minister, to ensure Japan’s access to diverse sources of energy supply. The plan covers the eight countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus, referred to as the “Silk Road region,” and places them high on Japan’s new foreign policy agenda. This Silk Road diplomacy has since defined Japan’s diplomatic engagement with Central Asia.

日本“絲綢之路外交”由前首相橋本龍太郎于1997 年首次提出，初衷是保障日本能源來源的多元化。橋本龍太郎倡議把中亞及高加索八國稱為“絲綢之路地區”，并將其置于日本新外交戰略的重要位置。此后，日本對中亞的外交逐漸被稱為“絲綢之路外交”。

The objective of this strategy is twofold: to ensure diverse sources of energy supply by securing access to the treasure house of Central Asia (which has larger reserves of oil than the Middle East) so as to protect Japan’s economic interests; and to establish a strong geopolitical presence in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

日本提出這一戰略有如下意圖：一是從經濟利益考慮出發，保障自身能源來源的多元化，搶先占據中亞地區這個儲量不亞于中東的能源寶庫。二是從地緣政治著眼，謀求日本在中亞和高加索地區站穩腳跟。

In 2004, Japan’s Silk Road diplomacy gained new momentum with the launch of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue in an effort to increase Japan’s political influence and economic penetration and gain a leading role in energy development and trade in Central Asia. In 2012, Japan provided US$21.91 million worth of government development assistance to build roads, airports, bridges, power plants and canals in the Silk Road region. In October 2015, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo visited Mongolia and five Central Asian countries with the mission of reinvigorating the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue focusing on cooperation in transport and logistics. These moves have been interpreted as Japan’s attempt to counter China’s Central Asia policy.

2004年，日本重提“絲綢之路外交”戰略，并推動設立“中亞+日本”合作機制，旨在通過加強政治影響和經濟滲透來爭取中亞地區的能源開發與貿易主導權。2012年，日本向“絲綢之路地區”提供2191.3萬美元的政府發展援助，投資領域涉及道路、機場、橋梁、發電站、運河等基礎設施建設。2015年10月，安倍晉三出訪蒙古和中亞五國，目的是要激活“日本與中亞對話”機制，側重在運輸和物流等領域促進合作，表明“日本針對中國的‘跟跑外交’策略已在中亞拉開帷幕”。