Sicherheitspolitische Zusammenarbeit zwischen Japan und Westeuropa: Chancen und Grenzen

Abstract Based on the examination of Japanese security policy (e.g. the constitutional restrictions; Japanese policy in crises, challenging the West as a whole; the Japanese position regarding the arms reduction talks) this study analyses the scope for a closer relationship between Japan and Western Europe in the security field. It shows that Japan affects Western European security policy as a consequence of the new orientation of her security policy in 1976 and of her increasing power (e.g. the United States changed from the ’swing’-strategy to that of horizontal escalation as a result of the increasing importance of Japan within the American administration). The INF-agreement shows that disarmament agreements can only be global because Japan has an interest that the Soviet Union is not allowed to station weapons in Asia that were formerly stationed in Europe. During the crises, challenging the West as a whole, Japan followed a policy dictated partly by the reaction of the West European powers and partly by her consciousness of dependence on American security policy. Japan tried to follow the West European line as much as possible, because one of her important political aims is non-involvement in the East-West conflict and another the reduction of the level of this conflict. As for the possibilities of a closer co-operation between Japan and Western Europe, the reduction of tensions, arising from the East-West conflict, is the main field of common interests.