2024 Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 41-53
This study examines how Japan's revised 2023 Development Cooperation Charter is perceived overseas, from the perspective of China, which is often portrayed as a ‘competitor or ‘security concern’ in Japan's development cooperation efforts. Drawing on academic research and reports written in Chinese, this study explores the historical and contemporary discourse surrounding Japan's Development Cooperation Charter, including its most recent revisions. The analysis demonstrates that China's perception of the Japan's Development Cooperation Charter has changed over time and has varied amongst researchers since the emergence of Japan-focused development studies in China in the 1990s. While there is limited literature on the latest revision, a report from a think tank under China's Ministry of Commerce offers a comprehensive explanation, emphasising the securitisation of aid while also highlighting efforts to promote cooperative relations between Japan and China. This study argues that considering diverse perspectives within China is essential for a nuanced and critically informed understanding of the discourse on Japan's development cooperation policy.
