Japan – China Relations
In the Asian region, the relationship between the Japanese and the Chinese is one of the most complicated and yet longest that has been built since the early civilizations. Both countries have a lot of similarities such as their notion of government, especially in the times of shoguns and dynasties. Both also became known for their philosophy, traditions, and for their background as one of the biggest traders in the Asian region. Today, the Chinese and the Japanese are slowly becoming famous for their contributions to the international arena and are considered the big names in the Asian region. However, despite these similarities, the Chinese and the Japanese had their differences as the years passed on. China became anti-Western while Japan opted to maintain a silent stance over Western issues. Nevertheless, they have maintained a relationship so complex that it still has a say in the Northeast Asia and World issues.
According to Sutter (1998), the Sino-Japanese relations have been influenced over the years due to various factors such as political agenda, policies, and international intentions by both parties. The two country’s geographic contiguity enabled them to build ties since the ancient era and allowed both nations to benefit from one another. However, as years moved by, the relationship became strained. In a more historical and partially, political aspect, Japan’s actions against the Chinese in the Pre-Second World War has continuously affected Chinese foreign policy when it came to Japan’s capacity to maintain a powerful position in the Asian region especially upon the end of the Second World War. The Japanese regretted the outcome of the war, but China’s continuous accusations to the Japanese became self-serving to the Chinese. The Japanese even saw this as a means for China to use its currently rising power to put East Asia and Japan in a compromised position as one of China’s empires. There were also territorial tensions between the two countries especially in the case of Korea and Taiwan. Some islands in the East China Sea became a means for dispute for both countries. Economical disputes also happened between the two nations especially when China became a bigger economy than Japan. Japanese companies became reluctant to even share their technology with China because China has built a tendency to copy these techniques and compete with the original producers of the technology .
At present, according to Masafumi (2009), the Sino-Japanese relations have been improving since 2006 when Shinzo Abe took office as Japan restarted talks with the Chinese after the controversy under the Koizumi administration and the Taiwanese visit to Japan. They have agreed upon the improvement of their efforts to create cooperation in the East Asian region especially in the economical aspect. They have enacted the CEPEA and the EAFTA to regulate trading in the Northeast Asian region, improving the economy of the region. These also allowed a more flexible and secure trading for the region that would regulate the traded items and investments . For the United States, according to Hoshiyama (2007), the Sino-Japanese relations are something they need to look into closely in case of any possible uprising happens in either side. The US is particularly interested with China’s continuously rising influence and how it would affect the relationship entirely. Hoshiyama points out that if the US were to decide on which side to support, it would support Japan since they share the same ideals in the international order. The US finds it important now to find a means to get China to cooperate with them and the Japanese to address international issues. The US is also afraid that they create a rift between Japan if they push for a more aggressive stance against China. The Japanese public might say that the US is trying to influence their government that may create a backlash with their relationship with China. As of today, it is still working on a method to ensure peace in the region without directly influencing the two factions .
References
Hoshiyama, T. (2007). The Improving Course of Japan-China Relations and the Role of the United States - History, Values, Realism in a Changing World. Institute for International Policy Studies Policy Papers, 1-33.
Masafumi, I. (2009). Japan-China Relations in East Asia: Rivals or Partners? National Institute for Defense Studies, 3, 125-145.
Sutter, R. (1998). Japan-China Relations: Status, Outlook, and Implications for the United States. In F. Columbus, Asian Economic and Political Issues, Volume 1 (pp. 167-176). Commack: Nova Science Publishing.
