International Aid Norms and Domestic Politics: Will China Repeat Japan's Experiences?

IFew items being monitored by the international development assistance community have caused as much consternation as the emergence of China as a significant source of official development assistance (ODA). 40 years ago, similar criticisms were being made about Japan's ODA, which was considered a mere offshoot of its mercantilist trade policies. Yet today Japan is arguably a strong adherent to the prevailing international norms that guide (though perhaps do not govern) official giving, especially on positions with respect to tied aid, non-military aid, economic development, environmental impact, and monitoring and evaluation standards. This paper looks at international aid norms and how they came to be accepted in Japan despite domestic political opposition. It also places Japanese and Chinese aid in global perspective. There is a lesson to be learned from the Japanese experience: China will also one day converge towards international norms on aid. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]