Japan and China

Rajaram Panda

India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, 2012, vol. 68, issue 2, 135-154

Abstract: Sino-Japanese relationship is too complex a narrative in the study of security and strategic dynamics of East Asia. Despite historical irritants both have developed such a close economic relationship that neither can afford to derail the partnership by any act of miscalculation. Though neither perceives the relationship in zero-sum-game terms, both realize the benefits that would accrue if it is deepened, nothwithstanding the element of fragility in the relationship. More recently, China’s military modernisation and rising assertiveness in territorial issues have raised anxiety in Japan. Similarly, China does not see kindly to Japan’s Defense Guidelines that mentions China as a matter of ‘concern’. The contending claims over the Senkaku Islands are a sore point in the relationship and a solution does not seem to be in the horizon. This article attempts to analyse the intricacies in the bilateral relationship in the context of changing security dynamics in the Asia Pacific region and in the wake of economic interdependence and the desire to foster economic integration of economies. China is a big challenge for Japan. Managing China through regional institutions such as East Asia summit and ADMM Plus are the desirable options. The extended presence of the US as a stabilising force is likely to stay despite talks of US ‘decline’.

Keywords: Senkaku; South China Sea; East China Sea; Yasukuni Shrine; Fukushima; National Defense Programme Guidelines; Taiwan; naval build-up; competing claims; EEZs; diplomatic spat (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://iqq.sagepub.com/content/68/2/135.abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:indqtr:v:68:y:2012:i:2:p:135-154

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().