Research Projects

East Asian Cooperation in the Decoupling of World Economy: Focusing on Rising China and “Double Twin Circles”

Summary and Aims of the Project

This research project aims to elucidate the significance of regional cooperation for the sustainable development of East Asia and the world amid the trend of global economic decoupling that has been intensifying in recent years due to the rise of China, the Corona pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, from the perspective of analysis as a “dual circulation” based on the international research network of Japan, China and Europe.

“Dual circulation,” the unique framework analysis in this research project, is based on the new growth strategy entitled “domestic-international dual circulation” introduced by China in its 14th five-year plan (2021 to 2025). China’s shift to reform and door-opening policies at the end of the 1970s brought rapid economic development against the backdrop of globalism.

China, which switched to a policy of reform and openness at the end of the 1970s, achieved rapid economic development riding the tide of globalism. However, China also faced regional disparities in economic growth, such as between North (Northeast China) and South (Central and South China). The “domestic-international dual circulation” was introduced to address this challenge. Against the above background, this research project adds the concept of region to “domestic” and “international.” With this concept, we will break down the level of analysis into (1) inner-regional international circulation (division of labor within East Asia, such as between Japan and China), (2) inter-regional international circulation (One Belt, One Road Initiative and Chinese trade and investment ties with Europe and the United States), (3) domestic inter-regional circulation (economic exchanges between Liaoning and Guangdong provinces, etc.), and (4) domestic inner-regional circulation (economic exchanges within the Northeast region such as Liaoning and Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces). In other words, on behalf of “domestic” and “international” frameworks in the “dual circulation,” this research project locates various levels of economic activity, such as “domestic/inner-regional/inter-regional" and "international/inner-regional/inter-regional.” This denotes the analytic perspective of the “dual circulation.” With this viewpoint, the main feature of this research project is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Chinese economy, East Asian economies including Japan, and economic relations between China, Japan and other East Asian countries and the West. Furthermore, through such analysis, we believe that we can clarify the significance of regional economic cooperation in East Asia (inner-regional international circulation in East Asia) for the sustainable development of China, Japan, and the world.

In the process of conducting our research projects, we will strengthen collaboration with various research institutes in East Asia, Europe, and the United States, including the Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in China, with which Ritsumeikan University has a long-standing academic collaboration. In addition, this research project puts an emphasis on training the next generation of researchers. We will support their participation in this project so as to deepen the themes of their doctoral dissertations and subsequent research topics, expand their international research networks, participate in international workshops and symposiums, and publish their research in academic journals.

Research Projects