Foreign Policy and Technology: The Japan-US Japan-Britain and Japan-EEC Technology Agreements

Abstract

This article discusses the technological agreement between the United States and Japan, which was eventually agreed to by the Japanese government in June 1982, and agreements between Japan, Britain and the EEC. The argument presented here is that technological power has become a political resource of national governments. The American government has used political power through the Japan-US Defence Treaty to attempt to retain technological and economic power. The Japanese government has been prepared to forgo technological power in order to placate American, British and EEC protectionist sentiments. Although governments of industrialized nations are now recognizing domestic technology as a determinant of power, ongoing technological innovation and the penetration by Japan of American microchip markets has increased US dependency on Japan. This economic dependency has not yet been recognized by shifts in political power.