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Paper short abstract

The paper aims to examine the preferences and interests underpinning the Japan-EU partnership. It will then proceed to assessment of capacity to fulfil expectations and designs on mutual cooperation and finally to judge other important powers’ perceptions of developing EU-Japan partnership.

Paper long abstract

In the XXIst Century’s third decade the international order is experiencing important shifts. Great power rivalry, rise of new forms of economic statecraft and domestic political shocks affecting numerous states, are all contributing to a crisis of the so-called Liberal Rules Based International Order. This reality forces these international actors which have aligned their foreign, economic and security polices most closely with this longstanding form of international order to rethink their strategy and look or both new solutions and partners to implement them. Both Japan and European Union benefited from the post-Cold War Rules-Based International Order and relied (although to a different degree) on their partnership with United States. Current geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts rise serious challenges regarding continued effectiveness of such an approach.

This international reality provides an important context for deepening partnership between Japan and European Union. Both actors are simultaneously grappling with serious tensions and conflicts in their respective neighbourhoods, challenges in dealing with shifts in US policy and evolving character of the global economy. The paper aims to examine the preferences and interests underpinning this partnership from perspective of both EU’s and Japan’s foreign policy strategy to asses the degree of compatibility between both actors’ values, interests and strategic designs. It will then proceed to assessment of European and Japanese capacity to fulfil expectations and designs on mutual cooperation and finally to judge other important powers’ perceptions of developing EU-Japan partnership.