A Comprehensive Study of the Role Played by the United States in Structural Change in the Asia-Pacific Region

 Project Representative: Yui Daizaburo
(Professor, University of Tokyo Graduate School, Faculty of General Studies)

 Project Duration: Fiscal 1998-2002

This project will perform a comprehensive analysis of domestic interests and opinions in the United States regarding the development of regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region in the 1980s and 1990s, and provide an indication of trends to come in the 21st century.

An even further increase in the consolidation of various regions is anticipated in the world of the 21st century. The United States, which has been in the past home to many immigrants from Europe, has until recently been oriented towards "European communities" such as NATO. However, in recent years, due to the growing and inwardly-focused consolidation of the European Union, the United States has strengthened its cooperative ties with other American nations, as in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) while, at the same time, it has played a major role in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference (APEC), which it took part in founding in 1989. On the other hand, since the end of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War, there has been an inward-looking trend in the United States, with many calling for a reduced emphasis on foreign affairs, and it is unclear in which direction the United States will proceed in the 21st Century.

In this context, the research project will first systematically collect materials for a database tracing the reactions of organizations and individuals in the United States vis-a-vis structural change in the Asia-Pacific region in the 1980s and 1990s and the accompanying increase in regional cooperation. In analyzing the decision-making process of the United States, it is indispensable not only to examine the actions of the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, but also to take into account the activities of various pressure groups (economic organizations, etc.), think tanks, the mass media, and public opinion. For this reason, the project will dedicate itself to systematically collecting materials relating to the executive and legislative branches of government, the reports and proceedings of pressure groups and think tanks, media reports, and surveys by public opinion organizations.

Regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific area takes place within many dimensions, some of which have shown remarkable progress, while progress has been delayed in others. Moreover, it must not be forgotten that there are a number of "walls" making cooperation difficult in this region. There is the North-South "wall" dividing former colonizers from the colonized and the rich from the poor, while there is also the East-West "wall," based on differences in political systems. We must not overlook the "wall of civilizations" between "East" and "West," or the "wall of race." As a result, multidimensional and interrelated research is essential to analyze trends in regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Thus, as a second step, the project will organize itself into six research teams; politics, foreign relations, security, economics, society, culture and the environment, in order to facilitate comprehensive research.

Third, in order to analyze U.S. reactions toward regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, it is necessary to focus on the interests and opinions of both organizations and individuals. While the increase in trade and investment has led to closer relations with the region, the United States still has a strong tendency toward a "Western" consciousness among the general public, and thus a certain dissonance has appeared, as can be seen in the recent fierce debate over "multiculturalism." Furthermore, while seeking to explicate the interrelationships between interests and opinions, the project will also cover such areas as the environment and technology, in which cooperation with the natural sciences is possible.

Fourth, previous related research in Japan has been overwhelmingly dominated by bilateral studies of topics such as Japan-U.S. or U.S.-China relations, but in this project, bilateral relations themselves will be placed in the regional context of the Asia-Pacific. It will also be important to keep in mind that domestic differences among the East, West and South exist within the United States.

To accomplish the goals stated above, the project will first take the initiative in forming networks with Asia-Pacific research institutes in the United States and in constructing databases of relevant information. Then, by discussing and evaluating the results of the project's analysis through international conferences and symposia, participants will be able to move towards predicting the developments which will take place in the United States in the early 21st century, and also become able to contribute to debates concerning the direction in which Japan itself should proceed.