Not Just hydrocarbons: Japan's multifaceted foreign policy approaches towards the GCC states

Abstract

This paper argues that in spite of the prevailing belief that the relations between Japan and the GCC states are primarily driven by the hydrocarbon trade, the Japanese authorities' efforts to strengthen their ties with the GCC states are determined by a more complex set of factors. These include not only Japan's energy security, but also its non-energy economic interests and geostrategic factors. The study thus demonstrates the salience of a multi-sectoral analytical approach, going beyond the traditional hydrocarbon trade, to grasp the full complexity of the increasingly multifaceted ties between Japan and the GCC states.