Chen Xiaoding and Wang Cuimei

Abstract: Faced with budget constraints,donor states must make decisions regarding how to allocate limited aid funds across target countries. There are clearly "double standards" at play over time and across countries vis-à-vis Japan's official development assistance(ODA)polities towards China and India. Academic studies have rarely involved cross country empirical research on this topic. In this regard,the differences and changes with respect to how a donor country determines policy towards targeted recipient states are colored by the characteristics of the roles that donor states take on. In granting ODA,,donor states consider both their interests as well as aid effectiveness,while also considering international norms and their domestic audience-thus featuring the characteristics of both economic actors as well as social actors. The adjustments that Japan has made vis-à-vis its ODA policies towards China and India respectively offer an excellent example of how its role as an economic actor was further mediated by its role as a social actor.

Key Words: Japanese Official Development Assistance; Foreign Aid; Economic Actor; Social Actor