near Singapore, climate change and protection of the environment. This includes cooperation in science and technology relating to global-scale issues.

In September 2007, monks protested against the authorities in Myanmar. There was pressure from the security authorities towards the protest and participants. Japan, in October, decided more stringent cooperation policies to Myanmar, which had previously been limited. However, because of the humanitarian necessity, it implemented grant aid in the form of the Project for Improvement of Maternal and Child Health Care Services (Phase VIII), through UNICEF. In 2008, in response to the major cyclone in May, Japan dispatched an international emergency relief and medical team of 23 to give humanitarian aid. Also, it provided financial support totaling around US$3,300 for food, health and education in July.

Recently, more and more of the countries of East Asia are becoming donors. Japan is promoting South-South Cooperation based in Malaysia and Thailand. Japan is also advancing the Japan-Singapore Partnership Program in which Japan extends technical cooperation to developing countries jointly with Singapore—a country that received assistance in the past. In April 2008, Japan, together with the Republic of Korea (ROK), invited major non-DAC donor countries as well as traditional DAC countries to Bangkok, Thailand, to hold the “Dialogue on Expanding Partnership for Development.” It contributed to a comprehensive framework of aid coordination including these donors. At the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held in May 2008 too, the move toward expansion of partnership was confirmed through promoting interpersonal exchanges between Africa and the East Asian region to help the transfer of technology, along with trade and investment.

## Relations with China

Since 1979, Japan’s assistance to China has helped the infrastructure development in coastal areas, environmental measures, improvement in the basic human needs sectors including health and medical care, and human resource development, among other efforts that contribute to the steady development of its economy. As such, Japan’s assistance has played a significant role in promoting and sustaining China’s reform and opening policy. Most of the assistance in these areas has been provided to China in the form of loan aid. The assistance can be valued as having supported the development of economic relations between Japan and China as well as having functioned as one of the main pillars for the multilayered Japan-China relationship. Regarding this point, the representatives of China, including at the summit-level, have expressed their gratitude on many occasions. $ ^{74} $ In light of China’s recent remarkable economic growth, Japan and China recognized that ODA loans for the country from Japan will come to a harmonious end by the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Therefore, new provision of loan aid was halted with the six Exchanges of Notes in December 2007.

Yet, the people of Japan and China face many common challenges to tackle, including global issues such as environmental issues and infectious diseases that affect Japan directly. During Hu Jintao’s official visit to Japan in May 2008, in a Joint Statement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the leaders of both countries confirmed that cooperation will be undertaken mainly in the areas of energy and the environment, while a joint declaration was issued relating to climate change. Moreover, increasing the mutual understanding between the people of Japan and China is an important issue from the perspective of facilitating the sound development of Japan-China relations. In light of this situation, grant aid is currently being implemented with its focus narrowed on: (1) areas conducive to resolving common challenges faced by the people of Japan and China such as the environment and infectious diseases, and (2) areas conducive to promoting mutual understanding and increasing exchanges between Japan and China. Also, in terms of technical cooperation, Japan is particularly focusing on projects aiming for the transition to a market economy, observance of international rules, promotion of good governance, and energy conservation. Exchanges of people can serve as an important means for transmitting Japanese values and culture to China. Based on the conditions surrounding bilateral relations, the cooperation will be conducted with appropriate deliberation from a comprehensive and strategic viewpoint.

One of the major events in 2008 was the large