Japan’s Africa ambitions
TWO weeks ago, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted Zimbabwean President Mugabe for an official five-day visit in Tokyo. Abe has now met Mugabe three times despite Harare’s isolation from the West — and, more acutely to Japan — especially the United States.
Zimbabwe remains under a number of sanctions from the US and some European countries, which have repeatedly called out Zimbabwe ostensibly for its record on human rights issues. The hosting of President Mugabe reveals the duelling pressures that face Japan as it looks to engage more states in Africa while still maintaining its image as a democratic state that promotes a rules-based order.
Bilateral ties
During the summit, Abe focused efforts on securing President Mugabe’s support for Japan’s policy of reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to include more permanent members.
President Mugabe and Abe agreed that the UNSC “does not fully reflect the realities of the international community in the 21st century”. Tokyo has long held the belief that this reform is necessary.
Japan’s efforts over the years to lobby for its inclusion in an expanded permanent Security Council have resulted in Tokyo casting a wide diplomatic net in Africa, where numerous countries support UNSC reform.
Japan is still in the back seat with regard to engagement with the continent as China continues to pour billions across Africa.
Tokyo also took the opportunity to explain its new security legislation - enacted last month — and its policy of a “proactive contribution to peace”. Japan highlighted its role in Africa as an example of this — for example its contributions to peacekeeping operations in South Sudan.
Tokyo’s contribution in South Sudan, where it has deployed more than 400 Self-Defence Forces (SDF), is operating under the umbrella of the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan.
Abe and Mugabe also agreed to a package of investment and assistance projects that Japan would provide Zimbabwe in the coming years, including $5 millon dedicated to infrastructure improvement as well as continuing a $15 million project on irrigation enhancement.
Zimbabwe also inked a memorandum of understanding with the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation to help facilitate Japan’s investment in Harare’s mining sector.
China factor
Despite these announcements, Japan’s ties with Zimbabwe remain quite limited and don’t rival those of China. Indeed, President Mugabe was given the title of “old friend” by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his last visit to China in 2014.
China also has invested billions of dollars in Zimbabwe’s energy and infrastructure sectors. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe endeared itself to Beijing by adopting the Chinese yuan as its international currency last year — becoming the first country in the world to do so.
Therefore, Abe’s eagerness to court Harare is motivated less by replacing Chinese influence and more through providing an option of diversification in Asia and weakening Beijing’s monopoly.
While Abe did visit Africa (Ethiopia, Mozambique and Ivory Coast) in 2014, his engagement with the continent has not been as strong as similar outreach in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Over the past five years, Tokyo has been averaging more than $4 billion in foreign direct investment to Africa. This number is steadily climbing, but still pales in comparison to what other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have invested there, and is just a fraction of the $16 billion that China had invested by the end of 2011.
Simply put, Japan is still in the back seat with regard to engagement with the continent as China continues to pour billions across Africa.
Comprehensive approach
A renewed focus now should take a