Renovating old alliances: Japan's soft-balancing in LAC

Kanako Yamaoka and Gabriel Garcia

Chapter 1 in Japan, Latin America and the Caribbean, 2026, pp 1-10 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This book explores the dynamic relations between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the twenty-first century, set against the backdrop of an escalating rivalry between China and the United States. It reveals how Tokyo has strategically employed a soft-balancing approach involving non-military measures to counter China's rise, focusing on strengthening alliances through formal international mechanisms such as regional organizations and free trade agreements. By integrating LAC into Japan's framework of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Tokyo aims to create a robust network of partnerships to uphold the rule of law in the global order. The responses from LAC have been diverse, with many governments adopting a hedging approach to maximize the benefits from both Japan and China. This interdisciplinary study, grounded in international relations and international economic law, offers a comprehensive analysis of six case studies: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru.

Keywords: Japan–Latin America; Soft-Balancing Strategy in International Relations; Indo-Pacific; US–China Trade War; Asia–Latin America; Japan–Mexico; Japan–Brazil; Japan–Chile; Japan–Argentina; Japan–Peru; Japan–Cuba (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035388257
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