Japanese media: Japan -China relations enter the "cold peace" era

Japan's "Nikkei Asian Review" September 10th article, original topic: Japan -China relations gradually entered the "cold peace" era

Japan and China will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries on September 29. These 50 years have witnessed the relationship between the two countries full of dynamic changes. This relationship has been trapped by the world outlook and strategy that is constantly changing and usually different. Now the two countries have entered a "cold and peaceful" era. It will be a period of trying to coexist peacefully while dealing with the increasingly tense trend and potential conflict.

The relationship between Japan and China has always been in a state of tension due to the "Shounge Islands" (that is, the Chinese Diaoyu Islands -Editor's Note) and Taiwan, but both parties seem to be willing to seek dialogue to prevent the relationship from deteriorating rapidly. On May 18 this year, foreign ministers of the two countries held a video meeting. On June 7th, the Japanese National Security Security Director Akiya Gangnan and the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Working Committee of the CPC Central Committee, Yang Jiechi, called. On August 17, the two sides held talks in Tianjin. The talks lasted for 7 hours until around 11:00 that night. Because both parties did not announce the details of the talks, some observers speculated that the two may accuse each other at a endless talk. According to diplomatic sources, this is not the case.

Sources said that although the two sides only showed their official positions on issues such as Taiwan, the focus of the talks was bilateral relations in the future. This mutual test shows that the two countries are clearly risky today. The transformation of diplomacy and geopolitics in half a century has pushed bilateral relations to the current state.

From 1972 to 1991, the Soviet Union disintegrated, and Tokyo and Beijing both had the opportunity to emphasize its "friendly" relationship. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Japan and China began to emphasize "mutual benefit" in foreign policy words. China uses Japan's investment and technology to achieve amazing economic development, and Japan has benefited a lot from economic and trade contact with China.

Around 2010, when China surpassed Japan to become the world's second largest economy, the strength of the strength between the two countries began to change. China no longer regards Japan as a country where they are sitting on a flat, and they have begun to compete for global leadership with the United States. Japan relies heavily on the United States in national defense, so maintaining a strong interest in strengthening the alliance with Washington will inevitably increase the friction between Tokyo and Beijing.

For Japan and China, the most realistic path is to ensure that any quarrel will not be upgraded to a comprehensive conflict, and in a kind of "cold peace" CCP's existence. This approach is obviously beneficial to Beijing. The sharp upgrade of the tension in Japan will promote a more stable Japan -US alliance, which in turn makes China's foreign strategy more complicated.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Japan -China relations were often described as "political cold and heat." Some Japanese politicians and business leaders are eager to see the relationship between the two countries restored to the previous state, but it is unlikely to happen. Now, security and economy are inseparable.

In view of these factors, the most pragmatic approach of the two governments is to lay the foundation for "cold peace" and gradually expand cooperation. To this end, there are three key diplomatic programs: First, the two countries must establish a multi -level dialogue channel between leaders, military officials and other decision makers to prevent any accidents. Deepen economic cooperation in mutually beneficial fields such as medical care, social security and environmental protection; third, we must re -establish and maintain a stable military balance between the Japan -US Alliance and China. If this balance is tilted sharply in any direction, it will increase the possibility of armed conflict. (Author Akita Haozhi, translated by Wang Huicong) ▲

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