ABSTRACT
The high hopes that Japan had had for the 1970s on account of its steady economic growth and increased international stature during the 1960s were rudely shattered. To some Japanese, the Sino-US rapprochement was an ominous reminder of the pre-war triangular relationship between Japan, China and the United States. The Japanese government tried to safeguard the volume of oil imports by buying on the spot market and through direct deals with oil-producing countries, while — with the long term in mind — it concentrated on working out measures to enable Japan to join the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) category of 'friendly countries'. The sudden surge of anti-Japanese movements in Southeast Asia had to do with more than Japan; it was also related to the change in the political environment in general.
