Isi, 32855 Ed (4200)
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23.
Japan
How is China likely to view Japah in the
70s? As the only Asian power which could be the
mainstay of a grouping of non-communist states,
a hostile containing ring? As too politically
timid to do other than conciliate China's ambi-
tions? As interested primarily in China's enor-
mous potential as a market and a source, there-
fore, of financial and technical aid when China
is again confident enough to allow such intrusion
In which of these roles indeed do the
24.
third.
Japane se see themselves? Most pro bably in the
To some extent lulled by China's economic
backwardness (and the American nuclear guarantee)
they do not regard her as basically aggressive
and thank that her intransigence will gradually
be broken down by the soft response of economical
strong neighbours. To that end Japan will pro-
bably pursue a more active role, a rather "higher
posture", in promoting Asian economic groupings,
which have their beginnings now in an organisation like the Asian Development Bank; she only Asier
country with the economic strength and experience
to take such a lead, though her neighbours would
have to be convinced that she was not seeking
simply to manipulate their economies for her own
ends. The Japanese economy will get stronger end,
unless there is a world trade recession, she is
unlikely to find herself in sericus economic
difficulties.
the
25 The West, and especially the United States, may well expect more of Japan in Asia than she is
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