The Diplomatic Bluebook of Japan is an annual report on
Japan's foreign policy and international diplomacy published by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
in Japan. It has been published every year since its first issue in September 1957.
The general public have access to all past Diplomatic Bluebooks that are published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Translations in English, French and Spanish are also available.
Summary
The Diplomatic Bluebook presents an overview of Japan's international relations with key neighbouring countries in their current situation. It describes the diplomatic policies that have been taken in response to international affairs surrounding Japan. The 2020 Bluebook states that Japan aims to “ensure its national interests in the political, security, and economic domains, as well as to maintain and develop a desirable international order that is based on universal values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the
rule of law
The rule of law is the political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders. The rule of law is defined in the ''Encyclopedia Britannica ...
”.
[“International Situation and Japan's Diplomacy in 2019” Diplomatic Bluebook 2020, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2020) Retrieved December 30, 2020](_blank)
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The Bluebook comments on global economic trend
*all the economic indicators that are the subject of economic forecasting
**see also: econometrics
*general trends in the economy, see: economic history.
*general trends in the academic field of economics, see: history of economics
History ...
s, potential terrorist and military threats, and various global challenges. For example, it elaborates the important role of the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
as a global energy resource provider and the risks of current political tensions in Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. Particular emphasis is placed on the immediate countries surrounding Japan, and in recent years the Bluebook has paid close attention to the trends in North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
and China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, such as North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches and China's increase in military spending. In the 2020 Bluebook, the Japan-US alliance is described as “the cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy” and is listed as one of the six priority areas for Japan's foreign policy.
History
The publication of Diplomatic Bluebooks began in 1957 during the economic boom
An economic expansion is an increase in the level of economic activity, and of the goods and services available. It is a period of economic growth as measured by a rise in real GDP. The explanation of fluctuations in aggregate economic activity ...
in Japan. The Bluebooks not only demonstrated Japan's retreat from militarism towards peaceful diplomacy, but that it could also contribute to the international community even as it pursued its own agenda.[[Loo, T.M. The politics of Japan's use of World Heritage: from ratifying the World Heritage Convention to the Mozu-Furuichi Tumulus clusters. In Rots, A. and Teeuwen, M. (eds.) Sacred Heritage in Japan (2020): 21. Retrieved November 25, 2020]] It demonstrates how Japan is able to assure its national interests by respecting and upholding the national interests of others.
The Diplomatic Bluebook of 1991 states that one of the key objectives of Japanese diplomacy is “to clearly demonstrate Japan's willingness to participate in, and cooperate with international efforts to protect universal values such as democracy and fundamental human rights”. This is reflective of Japan's continual efforts to make a “proactive contribution to global peace”.
Regarding relations with North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
(DPRK), the Diplomatic Bluebooks in previous years have repeatedly described the nation as “a grave threat”. The 2018 Bluebook depicts North Korea as “an unprecedented, grave and imminent threat towards the peace and stability of Japan and the international community”, continuing the discourse of previous Bluebooks which have stated the DPRK as a “threat of a new level” (2017) and “a direct and serious threat to Japan's security” (2016). However, the 2019 Bluebook marked a changing of expressions regarding Japan-North Korea relations. For example, it removed expressions such as "to maximize pressure on North Korea by all available means". The removal of these expressions demonstrated the Abe
Abe or ABE may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Shinzo Abe (1954–2022), former Prime Minister of Japan
* Abe (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname
* Abe (surname), a list of people a ...
administration's change of approach from its previous tougher policy towards North Korea, primarily in response to the Hanoi Summit
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
between the US President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong-un (; , ; born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's secon ...
, with the main focus of the summit being denuclearisation. Furthermore, the 2019 Bluebook described China as "one of the most important bilateral relationships" for Japan. This was the first time a statement of this nature had been made since Abe took office for the second time in 2012.
In response to relations with South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, the Diplomatic Bluebook has included the phrase that South Korea is “the most important neighbouring country that shares our strategic interests” since 2016, arguing for strengthened military cooperation between Japan and South Korea to counter any potential threat posed by North Korea and China. Both nations are closely allied with the United States, but have a history of conflict and maintain a variety of disputes, such as the territorial ownership of the Liancourt Rocks
The Liancourt Rocks, also known by their Korean name of Dokdo or their Japanese name of Takeshima,; ; . form a group of islets in the Sea of Japan between the Korean peninsula and the Japanese archipelago. The Liancourt Rocks comprise two ...
. However, there has been a distinguishable increase of hardline language in the recent Diplomatic Bluebooks. In 2018, the Bluebook stated that the “Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
” is the only term with international legal standing for the body of water known in Korea as the “East Sea”. It also omitted the phrase “South Korea is our most important neighbour”, stating only that “solidarity and cooperation between South Korea and Japan is indispensable for the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.”
In regard to the Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, both countries recognise a dispute over the legitimate sovereignty of the Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (; rus, Кури́льские острова́, r=Kuril'skiye ostrova, p=kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva; Japanese: or ) are a volcanic archipelago currently administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the ...
.[ [“Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook Mentioning Sovereignty over Kurils Contradicts Task of Improving Relations with Russia - Russian Foreign Ministry.” Russia & CIS Military Daily, (May 22, 2020) Retrieved December 27, 2020]] The 2019 bluebook's omission of Japan's claims of territorial ownership of the Southern Kurils perhaps reflected Abe's work towards settling a peace treaty with Russia. However, the 2020 Bluebook included wording of Japanese sovereignty over the Southern Kurils, contrasting the previous year's stance. In this way, the annual Diplomatic Bluebook provides a key insight into Japan's current international diplomacy and how it evolves over time. Japan redesignated the disputed islands as being under an "illegal occupation" in a draft for the 2022 Bluebook.
References
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Foreign relations of Japan