THE SUNRISE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: THE GEOPOLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND THE JAPANESE STRATEGIC INTERESTS

Revista da Escola de Guerra Naval

Alana Camoça Gonçalves de Oliveira¹  Felipe Gusmão Carioni Fernandes¹ 

[1] Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ);

关键词: south china sea;    japan;    geopolitics;    strategic studies;   

DOI  :  10.21544/1809-3191.v25n2.p449-491

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The emergence of territorial conflicts in the South China Sea (SCS) has driven not only the dispute between regional and extra-regional powers, but also a broad debate about sovereigntyandasymmetryofpowerintheregion. Considering the increasing participation of the Japanese archipelagointheSCS,thisarticleaimstoanalyzeits performance and its strategic interests in the maritime theater of Southeast Asia through a geopolitical analysis. The article’s hypothesis is that since the SCS is a space of Japanese strategic interest, any change in the region’s status quo could pose a risk to Japan’s vital communication and commercial routes and to the power configuration in the East Sea; therefore, the archipelago has been approaching countries in Southeast Asia in order to balance Chinese power. The article concludes that the SCS is a central area for the Japanese archipelago from a military and economic point of view and that Chinese assertiveness has allowed Japan to act in Southeast Asia and encouraged military cooperation with some countries in the SCS (such as the Philippines and Vietnam).

【 授权许可】

Unknown