Japan's Relations With China

by Peng Er Lam (Editor)

The essays in this collection examine Sino-Japanese political relations given the phenomenon of 'a rising China and a stagnating Japan'. Questioning whether their relationship is one of cooperation or conflict, the book reviews China and Japan's bilateral ties to see whether they have deepened and broadened despite differences in outlook, national interest and political systems.

Adding a new perspective to the Sino-Japanese political relations discussion, the book looks beyond the interactions of central governments to examine the role of NGOs, local governments and sub-regional linkages. The contributors adopt a range of analytical approaches and explore case studies including the Taiwan issue, Japanese Official Development Policy towards China and joint fishery management in the East China Sea. With perspectives from the US, Russia and Malaysia, the book yields new insights into this complex and multifaceted relationship and is a welcome addition to the current literature.

260 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2006

Reviews

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so much regret leaving Kyushu, after reading this book. It contains a great outlook on the rising importance of local and regional governments mutual contacts in solving and creating international polity of the country and the intertwining of local economies in different countries. It also warns about a possible conflict if the China and Japan mutual interest continue to clash because of the orthodox interpretation of history and the inability of the Chinese government to cast a balanced view on Chinese history and negative sides of the CCP.

The book was written in 2006 and contains a score of information on political and economic interactions of Japan and China after the reconciliation of mainland China with the LDP government in 1972.

Unfortunately recent internal policy developments in China show that now, more than before the alternative is stifled, even in the fictional narrative - see ban on time travel plots in cinema and extending ban on cinematic and literary KMT representation.