Infrastructure projects in East Asian countries as a reflection of political concerns of Japan

The study analyzes the role of infrastructure projects in Japanese foreign policy strategy in East Asia. Foreign direct investment, loans and technical cooperation in multiple infrastructure projects in East Asian countries not only makes a substantial part of Japanese foreign economic policy but also plays a grave role in the image construction that presents Japan as benevolent regional actor with strong leadership potential. The Official Development Assistance, that was launched in the 1950s, along with the adoption of pacific legislation aimed to overcome the negative attitude towards Japan in East Asian countries. In this study the author made a conclusion about the level of success of this strategy and modern political incentives of Japanese investment activities in the region, the most valuable of which are promoting international status and combating Chinese economic expansion.