I understand that the issue of the Chinese Japanese relationship may prove to be quite a sensitive issue in both countries, and I hope I will not offend anyone in any way, with this presentation. I tried to present the facts and analysis as objectively as possible to highlight the problems and the dynamics of the relationship, and thus finally to propose solutions for betterment. I mainly base this paper on my experiences last year while studying in Japan, and during my research over there, as well as long email exchanges I had with a Chinese friend who was studying with me in Japan, last year: Ji yongsly who is from Beijing, studies Japanese culture, and whom I am thanking, for having provided me with some insights from the Chinese point of view, regarding the Chinese Japanese relationship. Inheritance from World War II and a long history of rivalries, the relationship between the two big powerful nations of North-East Asia, China and Japan, has never seemed to have recovered from the past and its conflicting characteristic.
[...] The Chinese are pleased to welcome the Japanese firms installing in China as a boost for their industry, while the Japanese get to find free physical space which they could not do in Japan. China gets to export their low price quality products as well as natural resources, in particular meat to Japan in need of those, while in return, the Japanese get to export high quality products and infrastructures to a China still lacking in this area in their home market. [...]
[...] Both may share overall the belief of a Japan, by nature different socially from the rest of the world, but both trends well fractured and visible in the Japanese society For instance, Japanese flags in front of houses opposed to the sign, symbol of peace often shown by Japanese while having their photo taken) differ greatly on how to deal with it. The Pacifists would be inclined to stay away from world affairs as it is by essence a world of anarchy. [...]
[...] Instrumentalizing its Chinese Japanese hostility feelings, may then turn out to be for the central government a convenient to turn away the form of inside frustrations to an external one. Every nation in the building up of its identity and for stability need to find oneself an enemy, a process, actually well found in European history. Often, critics from Japan emphasize the role of some governments including the Chinese, in the anti Japanese propaganda, in turns diabolizing and making Japan as always the bad guys; this would, then justify any Chinese veto to the entering of Japan in the Security Council as a permanent member. [...]
[...] Not only hatred accumulated from the past, we ought to look at, but also then at the current political situation of the Chinese Japanese relationship in order to go beyond this point of non return and evolution from the past history, to have a better chance at understanding it and therefore proposing solutions as to its bettering. Political incentives for cooperation First of all, the relationship is not by nature just conflicting, some incentives for cooperation exist between the two countries, and would deserve to be highlighted and promoted so that the relationship may improve. [...]
[...] There is thus a room of maneuver for a somehow Chinese Japanese alliance to counter the American predominance in North East Asia. Signs of exasperation with the Japanese still backing up the war efforts of the US within the Japanese society, are more and more visible, especially within the young generations; the Pacifists have indeed been gaining some grounds lately. Chinese and Japanese may then have this common critical belief of America's war on terror that would be the root for a better relation between China and Japan. [...]
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