午夜剧场

It has been 20 years since I first decided to study international relations with a focus on China in Professor Kanji Akagi's seminar while a student at 午夜剧场. As China's international status has changed, my research themes have also evolved. What I have consistently focused on is the question of how dominant ideas and values in international relations are perceived by others—that is, the people who are on the receiving end of those values. My first theme was how China and Japan understood the concept of sovereignty imposed by Western nations during the imperialist era of the 19th century. My doctoral dissertation theme was how values such as democracy, human rights, and sometimes Christianity, which international NGOs from Western countries sought to spread in China in the early 2000s—a time when much of western China was still struggling with poverty—were understood by the people of western China. By 2007, when I obtained my PhD, China's "Going Out" strategy had progressed significantly, and China's economic power began to be recognized with great expectations in developing regions. Consequently, my new theme became how China's values regarding economic development and political-social stability are perceived in developing regions. Following the trajectory of China's international development, my current research cannot be satisfied simply by understanding Chinese policy; it must inevitably be conducted outside of China as well. To date, I have interviewed people of various positions and social statuses in Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Nepal, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Liberia regarding their views on China.

In current Japanese and American intellectual circles, theories of the "China threat" are most prominent, but when actually interviewing people in various countries about their views on China, it is truly a case of "a hundred flowers blooming." While there are many voices hoping that China will contribute actively not only to the economy but also to international politics, there is strong distrust in countries like Myanmar that have always dealt with China as a major power. While many commentators say that leadership and power in international politics are shifting from the United States to China, something indispensable to leadership—followership—is often forgotten. Leadership exists only because there are people who are followers. The perspectives of these followers provide immeasurable insights for those of us living in an era of transition in the international order. International relations are not just about power relations. They are about relations between human beings.