Can Development Consensus in Asia Survive the Rising Tide of Nationalism?

Conference by Ken Masujima, Kobe University at Maison Suger Wednesday, January 29^th 6 p.m.

Discussant: Françoise Nicolas (IFRI)

In Asia the major paradox has been why the tense competition among nations for security can coexist with the harmonious pursuit of economic development. Indeed, the nuclear crisis of the Korean Peninsula and regional rivalries involving the major powers of the US, China, Russia, Japan, and Korea are there to remind us that North East Asia is one of the tensest regions in the world. The key to explaining this “decoupling” of security and development in Asia is the existence of development consensus in which leaders of Asia take for granted the primacy of economic development. However, in recent years, the linking of security and development is becoming ever more manifest. The most notable example is China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The US, Japan, and Australia launched Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) in reaction to this Chinese initiative. We are thus witnessing the security inspired development initiatives of both the hegemonic power and the challenging power in Asia. By analyzing developmental aspect of these security-development initiatives, the future of development consensus in Asia will be assessed.

Ken Masujima is a professor of international relations at Kobe University (Japan), Graduate School of Law. He studied at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Law and Politics (LL.M) and worked for the OECD’s Development Co-operation Directorate as consultant (1992-94) and at the Japanese Embassy in Paris as advisor (1994-96). He was a founding Vice President of the EU Institute in Japan-Kansai and is the President of Association franco-japonaise de science politique. His major research interests are relations between developed and developing countries, development issues, comparative regionalism, and French/European external relations. His principal publications are: Politicization of the Aid Agenda: Transformation of Developed Countries-Developing Countries Relations? (in Japanese, Koyo Shobo, 2017); (with Sebastian Harnisch) “Human Security-More Potential for Cooperation?”, in Emil Kirchner and Han Dorussen eds., EU-Japan Security Cooperation: Trends and Prospects (London: Routledge, 2018); “EU-Japan Relations”, in Knud Erik Jørgensen, Åsne Kall and Aarstad, Edith Drieskens, Katie Laatikainen, and Ben Tonra eds., Sage Handbook of European Foreign Policy (London: Sage, 2015); “‘Good Governance’ and the Development Assistance Committee: Ideas and Organizational Constraints”, in Morten Bøås and Desmond McNeill eds., Global Institutions and Development: Framing the World? (London: Routledge, 2004).

Françoise Nicolas has been with Ifri since 1990. She also teaches at Langues’ O, Sciences Po Paris (Europe-Asia programme, Le Havre campus) and Sciences Po (Lyon) and is a consultant to the Directorate for Financial, Fiscal and Enterprise Affairs of the OECD (DAF) focusing on Southeast Asian non-member countries. Her publications include, “The ASEAN Economic Community’s Original Integration Model” in Politique étrangère(2017); “China and Global Economic Order: A discreet yet undeniable contestation” in Chinese Perspectives (2016); The Asian Century: What International Norms and Practices? (Paris: Ifri, 2014, co-published with Céline Pajon and John Seaman).

Mandatory registration: ffj@ehess.fr