Before BRI: Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance

Tuesday Nov 19, 2024

9 - 10 AM (Eastern)

Online only

Register: https://bit.ly/3YbzdE4

About the event

Beginning in the 1950s, Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) has been an important instrument for Japanese diplomacy.  Its initial focus on economic development in Asia was characterized as being both nonmilitary and nonpolitical.  However, this cold war strategy has evolved over the past two decades, in large part due to the rise of China, to include both national security challenges and the promotion of universal values.  How will Japanese ODA policy respond to the current challenge of striking a balance between promoting universal values and avoiding offense to recipient governments?  Can Japan play a special role as the developed world’s “ambassador” to the Global South?  Hiroaki Shiga, a professor at Yokohama National University, will join NYU Law Adjunct Professor Bruce Aronson in a conversation on the evolution and current challenges of Japan’s ODA policy.