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Paper short abstract

To respond to geopolitical challenges, Japan’s science and technology diplomacy toward the Global South has shown new trends in five aspects. Reasons on three different levels have collectively contributed to the shift.

Paper long abstract

Faced by increasing Geopolitical Challenges, Japan’s science and technology diplomacy toward the Global South has shown some new trends. In terms of its function positioning, the science and technology diplomacy has attached greater importance to safeguarding Japan’s national security and its advantage in strategic competition. In terms of partner selection, Japan has chosen key partners in the Global South based on a comprehensive consideration involving ideology, geographical location, and resource endowment rather than only economic benefits and technological level. Technological hotspots crucial to geopolitical competition such as defense technology, cutting-edge technology, and critical minerals have become new elements in Japan’s cooperation agenda with Global South countries. In terms of participating agents, Japanese government‘s strategic leadership and defense sector’s involvement have been strengthened. In terms of the cooperation model, Japan’s cooperation with the Global South has evolved from standalone technological assistance to strategic cooperation linked with multiple fields and multiple allies. The shift in Japan’s science and technology diplomacy toward the Global South is driven by the demand to enhance its technological power amid great power rivalry, secure a favorable position in its competition against China in the Global South, and ensure its national economic security. Japan's behavioral logic in its science and technology diplomacy toward the Global South shares similarities with that of many other Western middle powers amid increasing Geopolitical tensions. Therefore, this paper is supposed to contribute to providing an analytical framework that can also be generalized to analyze other countries’ science and technology diplomacy.