Cognitive Studies Between China And Japan

As a barometer of bilateral relations,bilateral cognition plays a key role in affecting the Sino-Japanese relationship among the complex and complicated hotspot issues.Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni shrine has set back Sino-Japanese relationship,and the competition and cooperation relationship between China and Japan has been highlighted under the framework of “One Belt And One Road.” Both of them present a dynamic cognition process.The former shows positive cognition while the latter negative cognition between China and Japan.This dissertation intends to choose the two cases to study the bilateral cognition transformation between China and Japan in the 21 st century.Mainstream media in China and Japan is a window to understand bilateral cognition.Taking People's Daily and Asahi Shimbun as reviewing materials,this dissertation attempts to compare the system and agent factors of the competition and cooperation relationship against the background of Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni shrine and under the framework of “One Belt And One Road,” together with the resulting cognitive performances and diplomatic actions,guided by the theories of new classical realism and constructivism.The dissertation assumes that the international system makes a determination on a country's identity in the region which constructs national interests.Bilateral cognition arises from this process.System culture,identity orientation and national interest constitute the influencing factors of bilateral cognition,which determines the diplomatic interaction between countries.The Yasukuni Shrine issue is highlighted in the turn of the century when major changes take place in the world.In the world system,multi-polarization pattern appears while in the Asia-Pacific region,the great powers check and balance each other.China and Japan seek common ground while reserving differences.The balance of power between the two countries has changed.The competition and cooperation relationship under the framework of “One Belt And One Road” has evolved in the past ten years.At the world level,the US has changed its diplomatic principle from “pivot to Asia” to“America First,” reducing its interference in Asia-Pacific affairs.Sino-Japanese relation has shifted from competition to cooperation.At the same time,as the two countries' national strength has reversed,Japan has begun to consider strengthening its ties with China.The cognition of the Yasukuni Shrine issue between China and Japan shows negative characteristics.This is reflected in the following aspects: from the government perspective,the political lines of China and Japan are quite different in cognition,and the actions of the two governments form a tug of war in terms of policy and behavior.From the national perspective,new nationalism arises in cognitive aspects and there are understanding deviations in social performance.The cognition of “One Belt and One Road” competition and cooperation between China and Japan embodies positive characteristics.This is reflected in the following aspects: from the government perspective,the two countries have different diplomatic angles in terms of cognition,and their policies and behaviors have changed from competition to consensus enhancement.From the perspective of citizens,the general public opinion tends to be positive in terms of cognition,and the cooperation consensus between the two sides is enhanced in terms of social performance.Negative cognition and positive cognition exert negative or positive effects on the diplomatic interaction between China and Japan respectively.The Yasukuni Shrine issue has brought China-Japan relations into a state of political cold and economic hot.Under the framework of “One Belt And One Road,” the strategic competitive relationship between China and Japan has developed into that of seeking third-party market cooperation.The cognition of the Yasukuni Shrine issue and the “One Belt And One Road”competition and cooperation between China and Japan is generated under the changing background of the international and domestic situations,and in turn also acts on the situation at home and abroad.By comparing the similarities and differences of cognitive development in the two cases,we can draw inspiration for the benign development of China-Japan relations in the future.