Keywords: Japan, Africa, foreign policy, economic aid, investment, TICAD

Against the backdrop of the current economic activity of China and India on the African continent, Japan's role in Africa is usually regarded as secondary. The main reason for this is the ambiguous economic situation in which Japan is currently located.¹ However, the situation may change significantly in the medium and long term.

Japan's foreign policy towards African countries has always been driven primarily by economic interests. Japan's trade relations with Africa have existed for more than a hundred years, but the scale of Japanese-African trade for a long time remained insignificant due to geographical remoteness and the colonial, and therefore economic, dependence of African territories on European metropolises.

In the first half of the twentieth century, Japan's main trading partners in Africa were the Union of South Africa (UAC) and, to a lesser extent, Egypt. The main items of Japanese imports were mineral resources and agricultural products-cotton and food, while exports were manufactured goods.

After World War II, the countries of Africa that were freed from colonial dependence began to attract the attention of Japan as sources of raw materials and rapidly growing markets for industrial products. In the 1960s, Japan's political presence in Africa grew.

The main African trading partner of Japan remained the South African Union (since 1961 - South Africa). In 1948, trade relations between the two countries, severed by the Union of South Africa in 1941, were restored. In the 1960s, trade volumes reached pre-war levels. By the mid-1980s, due to the international isolation of the apartheid regime, including restrictions imposed by the United States on trade with South Africa, Japan for some time became the main trading partner of this country.

Japan's economic cooperation with the racist regime of South Africa in the 60s-80s of the XX century caused condemnation from the international community, including the countries of Africa that were freed from colonial dependence. This complicated Japan's economic expansion on the continent, but not so much as to force it to abandon trade with South Africa, the benefits of which outweighed the losses in the rest of Africa.

For a long time, Japan's policy, like that of Western states, was ambivalent: officially condemning racial segregation, the government did not prevent Japanese companies from linking up with South Africa. In the 1980s, a number of sanctions were imposed against South Africa, but they did not significantly damage bilateral economic cooperation. Officially, Japan during this period adhered to the concept of"separation of politics and economy."

The 1973 oil crisis gave a powerful impetus to the activation of Japan's economic ties with Africa. The energy starvation and economic downturn resulted from the jump in oil prices and prompted Japan to reorient its industry from energy-intensive to knowledge-intensive, as well as to search for new sources of energy, including in Africa. The problem of energy carriers is one of the reasons for the actualization of cooperation with African States in the XXI century. Due to the partial closure of the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, which was affected by the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the issue of lack of energy resources is no less relevant than after the "oil shocks".

The African direction of Japan's foreign policy underwent significant changes in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Due to the changes taking place in South Africa, and with the growing international condemnation of Japan's cooperation with the apartheid regime, the policy of "double diplomacy" - that is, Japan's desire for active cooperation with both white minority and national regimes by the governments of the liberated states, it was ineffective.

CREATING A TICKER

The current stage of Japanese-African relations can be traced back to 1993. Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-Tokyo International

Conference on African Development/TICAD). Since then, TIKAD has been held every five years. The conference was a testament to the promotion of Africa among the priority areas of Japan's foreign policy.

Due to the relative cheapness of African labor and resources, and Japan's desire to reduce its dependence on China as a supplier of mineral raw materials, the attractiveness of African countries for Japan's foreign trade continues to increase. The diplomatic yearbook of the Japanese Foreign Ministry notes that "Africa is becoming increasingly important for Japan's foreign policy for the following reasons:: 1. It is the duty of Japan, as a responsible member of the global community, to work hard to address the various challenges facing Africa;

2. Strengthening Japan's economic ties with Africa is extremely important in strategic terms, as Africa has a huge reserve of natural resources and a rapidly growing population, and therefore potential markets and prospects for economic growth;

3. Cooperation with African countries is essential to address future global challenges, such as UN Security Council reform and climate change. " ²

In shaping the African vector of its foreign policy, the Government of Japan is committed to developing market relations in Africa through official development assistance, loans, and comprehensive promotion of the economic activities of Japanese companies. The set of measures taken by the Government together with representatives of the private sector is also aimed at creating a middle class and creating, through educational programs, a human resource base that seeks to cooperate with Japanese firms and is familiar with the realities of Japanese business. The importance of the African direction for Japan's foreign policy and economic activity was confirmed by the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to the continent in 2001-he visited South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. During the visit, Mori stated that "in the twenty-first century, stability and prosperity around the world will be achieved only when the problems of Africa are solved." ³

AT THE TIKAD-V CONFERENCE

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced at the CHIKAD-V conference in June 2013 that he intends to invest more than $30 billion in the development of African economies in the coming years. and his subsequent visit to Africa indicate the further development of the above trends.⁴

The Government of Japan is co - organizing the conference with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the UN Special Adviser on Africa. Since 2013, the African Union and the World Bank have also joined the ranks of organizers. The aim of the conference is to "promote high-level dialogue between African leaders and development partners", as well as to strengthen relations, maintain peace and stability, and share experience in modernizing and adapting it to African conditions. The conference documents state that Japan's assistance to African countries is understood as "stimulating economic growth through trade and private sector investment, as well as fully promoting development and strengthening security." ⁵

The fifth TIKAD Conference was held in Yokohama from 1 to 3 June 2013 and was the largest international conference ever held by Japan. The number of participants exceeded 4,500 people. Among them were representatives of 51 African States and 35 development partner States, including 39 heads of State and Government, envoys from 74 international and regional organizations, as well as representatives of the private sector and non-governmental organizations. The conference was attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, World Bank Head Jim Yong Kim and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. The conference was chaired by Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Ethiopia and AU President Hailemariam Dasalen. The plenary sessions were co-chaired by former Japanese Prime Minister Mori.

The official concept of the last conference was "Hand in Hand with a More Dynamic Africa". Among the main topics of discussion were "A prosperous and reliable economy"," Inclusive and happy society","Peace and stability". A separate session - "Dialogue with the private sector" was devoted to the task of directly involving representatives of the private sector of the Japanese economy in interaction with African states.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Japan's share in the foreign trade of African countries, as well as their share in Japan's trade, is relatively small. In 2012-2013, Japan accounted for no more than 3% of total imports and exports of African countries. According to the WTO, Africa ranks last among the regions in the structure of both exports and imports of Japan. Nevertheless, Japan's trade with Africa in recent years has come close to that of the "Russia and CIS" region in the same period, reaching $27 billion in 2011, compared to $34 billion, respectively (according to ITC data, in 2011 - $30 and $33.5 billion, respectively). 2012 - $34 and $36.5 billion ⁷). Some decline in absolute values of Japanese-African trade volumes in 2012-2013. (from $34 billion in 2012 to $30 billion in 2013) ⁸ was driven by a general decline in Japan's production and trade, including as a result of natural disasters and the man-made disaster at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant.

Japan's FDI in Africa remains low-

relatively small ones. However, according to the Yokohama Action Plan published by CHIKAD-V and the above statement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan plans to invest $32 billion over the next 5 years. in various projects related to the economic development of Africa, including about $14 billion. as part of official development assistance.

In addition to the action plan, the conference adopted another policy document - the Yokohama Declaration 2013. It contains the main strategic guidelines, guidelines for the conference's activities and its goals.

The TICAD-V program documents emphasize the intention of the Japanese government and other participants to finance projects aimed at stimulating economic growth in Africa, helping to develop the private sector, creating new jobs, developing infrastructure, strengthening food security, protecting the environment, as well as projects related to education, research and tourism development.

Among the actions that the conference participants (the Government of Japan, non - governmental organizations and international organizations) plan to take in the next five years, the first priority is to stimulate economic development by creating joint efforts favorable conditions for expanding trade ties, attracting investment in infrastructure, agriculture and extractive industries. Due to the fact that Africa is the least economically integrated continent in the world (its share in world trade is about 3%), expanding the scope of cooperation in the field of trade with African States, in particular, within the framework of the Aid for Trade concept, is recognized as a priority.

It is assumed that an increase in foreign trade will become a catalyst for the development of the economy as a whole, including the creation of new jobs, as well as reducing poverty. In addition, much attention is being paid to the intensification of trade between African States, which should lead to a decrease in the cost of goods, and therefore to an increase in living standards. Currently, the share of trade between the countries of the continent is only 12% of the total volume of their trade - a rather low figure ⁹.

Private capital flows to Africa are now focused mainly on financing extractive industries in resource-rich countries. The documents of TIKAD-V emphasize the desire of participants not only to increase the total volume of investments, but also to diversify their facilities, attracting investors in such areas as agriculture, industrial production, tourism and infrastructure. This task is particularly important in the light of the recently announced African Union assessment of the cost of priority projects of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PID): about $7.5 billion will be required for the implementation of projects until 2020. annually, and in ^{the long term-more than $360 billion until 2040.10}

FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY

One of the central places on the agenda of TICAD-V was the discussion of conditions for the development of the private sector. The most important goal of the conference documents is to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises that play an important role in the formation of the middle class. In particular, it is planned to provide entrepreneurs with long-term loans on preferential terms.

Among the planned measures -the initiative of the organization "Export and Investment Insurance of Japan" (Nippon Export and Investment Insurance - NEXI). The initiative provides for an export loan of $2 billion; sending investment advisers to 10 African countries; and helping 20 African states equip border crossings to facilitate movement between countries, which should encourage the development of trade within the region11.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Shinzo Abe announced the Japanese government's intention to encourage private Japanese companies to enter into investment agreements in Africa. For the development of the private sector, it is planned to invest $500 million under the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa (EPSA) program jointly with the African Development Bank. JOGMEC Corporation (Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation) plans to allocate $2 billion. for projects in the field of natural resources. One of the main goals of economic development in the conference documents is "growth of trade between African countries, improvement of business conditions in African countries and growth of export volumes from African countries" ¹².

For infrastructure projects out of the amount of $32 billion. It is planned to allocate $6.5 billion in official development assistance and loans from the Japanese Bank for international cooperation.

MULTI-VECTOR COOPERATION

Within the framework of assistance in the field of education and workforce development, the launch of the "African Business Education initiative for the Youth" ("ABE initiative") program was announced. The program provides a competitive opportunity for young Africans to study in Japan and then train and get a job in Japanese firms. In the first year of the program, it is planned to invite 1,000 students from African countries.

In addition to the launch of this program, plans were announced for the construction of industrial and business facilities

with the creation of 30 thousand jobs, as well as the establishment of specialized employment centers within the framework of TIKAD activities, designed to work with residents of 25 countries of the African continent.

Much attention is paid to the development of tourism in Africa. In particular, it is planned to hold 10 exhibitions in Japan, organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Association of Travel Companies, which should help increase the popularity of trips to Africa among Japanese tourists, as well as sponsor the construction of tourism industry facilities and create new jobs.

A special place on the agenda of the conference was occupied by the issue of stimulating farms as the main driving force of the economy of developing countries, which plays an important role in ensuring their food security. The main goal in this direction was to double the volume of rice production in sub-Saharan Africa by 2018 - up to 28 million tons-by joint efforts with the Organization for the Development of Rice Farming in Africa (Coalition for African Rice Development-CARD).

It is also planned to assist farmers in commercializing subsistence farming, integrating them into the capitalist system, and raising their incomes through the Smallholders Horticulture Empowerment Project (SHEP) initiative in 10 African countries. This project has already been successfully implemented in Kenya since 2009, with Japan funding about ⁹⁵% of its cost13.

Several initiatives have been proposed in the field of environmental protection in Africa, including the Trees Project, which aims to create conditions for wildlife and humans to coexist. Its goal is to reduce deforestation in 34 African countries. It is planned to finance in the amount of $2 billion. projects for the introduction of low-carbon technology. The conference participants intend to provide assistance to African States, primarily island States, in reducing the risks of natural disasters.

The conference focused on social issues, in particular, the need to improve the level of education and health care in Africa. Several initiatives were put forward, in particular, within the framework of the "School for All" project, which provides for the organization of quality control of primary and secondary education through the creation of a system of independent observers, as well as a project to improve the quality of teaching exact sciences in secondary schools (Strengthening Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education - SMASSE).

Another initiative in this area was the Japan-African Business Women Exchange Program, which aims to improve the status of women in Africa.

In the healthcare sector, it is planned to invest $500 million in the implementation of programs to improve the quality of medical care.

Security, peace and counter-terrorism in Africa were an important topic on the agenda of TIKAD-V. In particular, there are plans to allocate funds to strengthen the combat capabilities of African units fighting terrorism and piracy in North Africa and the Sahel region. To ensure security off the coast of Somalia and adjacent territories, it is planned to build up the Maritime Self-Defense Forces and the Japanese Coast Guard. The parties expressed their intention to continue supporting the UN peacekeeping forces in the region and the initiatives of the African Union. Stability in the Sahel region is planned to be maintained by investing a billion dollars in its development.

PLATFORM FOR DIALOGUE

The conference hosted many different seminars and symposia, including a separate symposium on AIDS/HIV and a special session on Somalia, during which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his intention to resume direct assistance to the country.

Abe held bilateral meetings with 56 participants, including 39 heads of State and Government who attended the Yokohama Summit, the President of the AU and representatives of a number of international organizations.¹⁴

The TICAD Conference, originally created as a platform for dialogue to expand the scope of cooperation, is increasingly focused on achieving concrete results. A project implementation monitoring system was established, including annual meetings of conference participants at the ministerial level. In addition, since 2009, the conference has been issuing reports on the achievements of participants in the framework of their initiatives.¹⁵

The trend of increasing activity of Japanese companies in Africa is also confirmed by Abe's visit to Ivory Coast, Mozambique and Ethiopia in January 2014. The Prime Minister was accompanied by about 50 high-ranking representatives of ¹⁶ major Japanese enterprises interested in entering the rapidly growing African market, as well as gaining access to the continent's resources.

During the visit, Shinzo Abe made several important political statements, in particular, on financing for maintaining peace and stability in Africa. The allocation of $320 million, including $25 million, was announced. - to stabilize the situation in South Sudan, which is on the verge of civil war. Japan is ready to donate $3 million to help resolve the crisis in the Central African Republic ¹⁷.

The Prime Minister announced his intention to double the volume of low-interest loans aimed at supporting the development of the private sector. In 2012, it was planned to allocate

over five years, $1 billion, and now over the same period, loans are expected to be issued for twice the amount of ¹⁸.

Another important news was the Prime Minister's announcement on the opening of direct flights between the capitals of Japan and Ethiopia ¹⁹.

"AN ATTEMPT AT RIVALRY"

The Prime Minister's visit, as well as the TIKAD conference, has always been described in the press as a desire to "compete with the enormous influence that China has in Africa"²⁰. In general, most analysts see the Japanese government's desire to prevent China from dominating the continent as a result of Japan's active involvement in Africa. In recent years, China has become one of the largest donors to African countries, but official data on its aid volumes are not made public. There is the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, a platform similar to TIKAD for coordinating China's relations with African countries and expanding the scope of cooperation with them. It was organized in 2000 and meets every 3 years.²¹

Media attention was drawn not only to the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister himself, but also to the unexpectedly strong reaction of the public, mostly the Chinese population and ethnic Chinese living in African countries. Shinzo Abe's arrival in Ethiopia was met with protests from local representatives of the Chinese diaspora and disapproval from Chinese officials.²² In particular, it was claimed that the Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia and the country's representative in the African Union, Se Xiayuan, said that he considered Prime Minister Abe a "troublemaker"²³.

The reason for the protests was S. Abe's visit in December 2013 to the Yasukuni Shrine ²⁴, which Chinese sources call a monument to war criminals who destroyed the people of China. The Japanese Embassy in Addis Ababa received a letter of protest signed by more than a thousand ²⁵ Chinese people living in Ethiopia.

* * *

A comparative analysis of Japan's African policy with China's actions in the corresponding direction reveals both common features and some characteristic differences. A kind of" competitive advantage " of the Japanese, in comparison with China, is the lack of a tendency to create diasporas, as well as a greater degree of focus on creating jobs for the local population.

Japan also has a certain advantage over the traditional players on the African continent-European powers: Japan, in comparison with the former metropolises, is less often perceived by Africans as a neo-colonialist force.

Despite the relatively small volume of Japanese-African trade and investment by Japanese companies in African enterprises, as well as a slight decline in their trade volumes in recent years, it is possible that Japan has opportunities to expand and strengthen its economic and political position in Africa.

Cooperation between Japan and African countries in the field of economic development has serious potential for both sides and may become an important component of international relations in the future.

¹ For more information, see: Streltsov D. V. Will the arrows of "abenomics" hit the target? // Asia and Africa Today, 2014, N 3,4. (Streltsov D. V. Popadut li strictly "abenomiki" v cel? // Aziya i Afrika segodnya. 2014. N 3, 4) (in Russian)

² Cit. по: Message from the Minister for Foreign Affairs // Diplomatic Bluebook 2013 Summary - http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/ other/bluebook/2013/html/chapter2/ssafrica.html

³ Cit. по: Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's Visit to African Nations (Overview and Evaluation), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 13.01.2001 - http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/africa/pmv0101/overview, html

⁴ http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000005500.pdf

⁵ Cit. по: Yokohama Declaration 2013. Hand in hand with a more dynamic Africa. 03.06.2013 - http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/page3e_000053.html

⁶ World Trade Organization, International Trade Statistics 2012 -http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/its2012_e/itsl2_world_tra de_dev_e.htm

⁷ International Trade Centre - http://www.trademap.org/tradestat/ Bilateral_TS.aspx

⁸ Ibidem.

⁹ Yokohama action plan 2013 - 2017. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 03.06.2013 - http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/page3e_000054.html

¹⁰ Ibidem.

¹¹ http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/files/yap2013_im_en.pdf

¹² Ibidem.

¹³ http://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/evaluation/tech_and_g rant/project/term/africa/c8h0vm000001rp75-att/kenya_2009_02.pdf

¹⁴ http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/page6e_000075.html

¹⁵ http://www.ticad.net/news/pdf/Follow-up-to-TICADIV.pdf; http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/pamphlet/pdfs/ticad_20_en.pdf ¹⁶ Japan PM begins Africa tour in Ivory Coast // Channel News Asia,

11 January 2014 - http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/ japan-pm-begins-africa/950588.html

¹⁷ Japan's Shinzo Abe woos Africa with funds for peace and security // Japan Times, 14 January 2014 - http://www.japantimes.co.jp/ news/2014/01/14/national/japans-shinzo-abe-woos-africa-with-funds-for-peace-and-security/# .UwzU-vl_vQc

¹⁸ Speech by H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, on the Occasion of His Visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. [Provisional translation] January 14, 2014, p. 2 - http://www.mofa.go.jp/ files/000023952.pdf

^{Ishida Michiyo.} 19 Significance of Japan PM Abe's trip to Africa // Channel News Asia, January 15, 2014 - http://www.channelnewsasia. com/news/asiapacific/significance-of-japan-pm/955528.html

²⁰ Japan PM Shinzo Abe eyes African business ties // BBC, 14 January 2014 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25730529

²¹ For more information, see: Deich T. L., Korendyasov E. N. BRICS as a new player on the African continent / / Asia and Africa Today. 2012. N 4, 6; Deich T. D. Kitai-Afrika: ekonomicheskie otnosheniya na rubezhe XXI veka [China-Africa: Economic Relations at the turn of the XXI century]. 2006. N 4. (Deych T.L., Korendyasov E.N. BRICS kak novyi igrok na Afrikanskom kontinente // Aziya i Afrika segodnya. 2012. N 4, 6. (Deich T.L. Kitai -Afrika: ekonimicheskiye otnosheniya na rubezhe XXI veka // Aziya i Afrika segodnya. 2006. N 4) (in Russian)

²² Cit. by: Miseret Elias. China condemns Japan leader on visit to Ethiopia // Yahoo News, January 15, 2014 - http://news.yahoo.com/ china-condemns-japan-leader-visit-ethiopia-121823542.html

²³ Ibidem.

²⁴ For more information about the incident involving the Prime Minister's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, see the article by E. V. Molodyakova in this issue (pp. 52-58).

^{Miseret Elias.} 25 Op. cit.

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