"Balance Of Threat":US-Japan Alliance And China’s Rise

In the Post-Cold War era, the relationship between China and US is deepening constantly, so is Sino-Japanese relationship. However, the US-Japan alliance keeps strengthening and balances the "threat" caused by "China’s rise". Stephen M. Walt’s "Balance of Threat Theory" can explain the current situation of US-Japan alliance. Alliances are commonly regarded as a response to an external threat. The level of threat is a function of relative power, geographic proximity, offensive capabilities and perceived intentions.With the Cold War’s end, there is close relationship between the adjustment of US-Japan alliance and rapid development of China. Without the Soviet as a "common goal", US and Japan focus on "China’s threat" and strengthen the alliance to balance China’s power. However, China is not a threat. Firstly, even though China’s power is expanding, but compared with US and Japan’s powers, China can not pose an economic or military threat to the two countries. Secondly, geographic proximity can cause neighbors’ attack, but it can also benefit the neighboring countries’friendly communication. Last but not least, the goals of China’s rise are peace and development, to deepen the relationship with other countries instead of challenging others’national security and interests.And then beyond the theoretical framework of "Balance of Threat", the current international system whose feature is interdependence can increase the cost of challenge and reduce a country’s attacking desire. Conversely, to realize national interests better, countries need to deepen the relationship with others. The "Balance of Threat Theory" demonstrates some time lag:to judge a threat and its level, the policy-makers must investigate into the rising power’s degree of integration into international system and interaction with others. China constructs the mutual trust and friendly cooperation with other countries, interacts with other countries frequently in economic and cultures, participates to the international institutions, and deepens the relationship with US and Japan actively, so China is not a threat from a perspective of international system. China’s rise cannot pose a challenge to US-Japan alliance. US-Japan alliance keeps strengthening and makes up "China’s threat" as a result of strategies. The behaviors of confrontation and balance of China’s development will endanger the security and peace in East Asia seriously, which will result to a tragic outcome of all parties’ lose ultimately.China’s rise will have a significant impact on international system inevitably. Some countries such as US and Japan cannot accept the fact peacefully in a short time. China must be fully aware of the tendency of US-Japan alliance’s strengthening and prepare to take measures. Based on the accurate acknowledgement about international position, China will not seek the hegemony according to the facts of peaceful development. Additionally, China continues to deepen the relationship with US and Japan to construct a mutual trust triangular relationship, which is necessary to construct a favorable regional and international environment for China’s peaceful rise.