| Sino-Japan relations has always been an important factor influencing China's diplomatic strategies and goals,whether seen from the academic perspective of China's modern diplomatic history,or from a realistic perspective of China's complex diplomatic relations with its neighboring countries.Over more than a decade since the beginning of the 21 st century,Japan has been,in general,pursuing an ideology-based diplomacy advocated by the hawkish ideologues of the Liberal Diplomatic Party(LDP)headed by Shinzo Abe,which,at its core,vitiates from the big-power diplomacy during the Cold War,aiming to dominate Asia's politics through rallying America and containing China.To resolve the problems in the bilateral relations between China and Japan,it is necessary to profoundly understand the development patterns of Japan's diplomacy.The article studies Japan's independent diplomacy in the 1970 s,exemplified by three typical historical cases – the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations,the establishment of Japanese-Vietnamese diplomatic relations,and Japan's bilateral relations in Northeast Asia under the Fukuda Doctrine.Through an in-depth analysis of the historical background,causes,development,and the particular features of practice and cultural-psychological mechanisms that lie behind the facts,the article explores the internal logic and the general development patterns of Japan's independent diplomacy,and,based on this,theoretical criticism and realistic assessment will be carried out on the basic characteristics and development trends of Japan's contemporary foreign policy,and solutions will be proposed for China on its bilateral relations with Japan.The article holds that Japan's independent diplomacy in Asia in the 1970 s had three fundamental characteristics: 1)Despite the Japanese government's growing awareness of independent diplomacy in the 1970 s,its power and capability was greatly constrained by America's diplomatic strategies,so its limits were obvious;2)Seeking to dominate Asia's politics and to be a super power in the world has alwaysbeen Japan's deep-rooted and consistent cultural and political pursuit;3)Practicality is a basic feature of Japan's diplomacy,so it is a natural political choice for Japan to follow a strategy that looks beyond ideology and dilutes its influences.The article believes that,for a fairly long period of time in the future,Japan's alliance with America will remain steady based on both their diplomatic tradition and realistic factors.However,sticking to a US-Japan alliance framework,Japan's diplomatic strategy will be inevitably limited.Abe's value diplomacy is in fact a legacy of the big-power diplomacy advocated by Japan's right-wing nationalists.Though it will be challenged by the “New Fukuda Doctrine”,for a long time to come,Abe's traditional diplomacy will still play a dominant role in Japan.The New Fukuda Doctrine,featured with “peace diplomacy”,has made major theoretical contributions to Japan's diplomatic strategy and philosophy,but the evolving political landscape in Asia and the basic natures of Japan's diplomatic culture have made it certain that the“New Fukuda Doctrine” will finally be marginalized.The article believes that,to handle Sino-Japanese relations correctly,it is important for China to look at the bigger picture of its diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and the overall trends that shape the world,to prudently examine the contradictions and structural problems that lies in its relations with Japan,and to make a comprehensive plan towards the future of Sino-Japanese relations.It is also important that China prioritizes its own interests in the Sino-Japanese relations,in full grasp of the development patterns of Japan's diplomacy and their will to be dominant.History has proven that if China is to earn Japan's true “respect and friendship”,a reliable approach is to become so strong that Japan comes to fully recognize that challenging China's core interests and values will put its own interests in peril. |
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