Japanese Government’s View Of China Since1978

1978is the year when China initiate its reform and open-up policy. It is in the same year that China and Japan signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between China and Japan. Peaceful co-existence and collaborative development has long been important experience for both China and Japan, especially since the Chinese reform and open-up. But how has Japanese government been viewing China since the reform and open-up was initiated thirty years ago? This thesis plans to adopt a political perspective to study Japanese government’s various views of China in three specific periods, namely1978-1988,1989-1999and2000-2011, by closely examining the China-related parts of Japanese government-issued official documents like Diplomatic Blue Book, White Book of Defense and White Book of Official Development Assistance.This thesis consists of three parts, namely Introduction, the main body and Conclusion, with the main body being divided into three chapters. The Introduction part states the background and significance of the topic, as well as previous research achievements. It gives reasons for choosing the three specific historical periods. Then follows briefings on the international situations and the political and economical conditions of China and Japan in various periods.The first chapter Japanese government’s view of China from1978to1988. In diplomatic and political aspects, Japan beheld China as the most important factor that could influence the American-USSR relation and a three-horse race would eventually come into being among China, America and the Soviet Union. Japan would like to treat China as a defacto strategic ally, while simultaneously paid much attention to China’s domestic Democratization Movement. As to the economic collaboration with China, Japan’s ODA policy towards China has its stability, consistency and independence. In military sphere, Japan viewed China’s military force in the perspective of the Chinese-Soviet confrontation. Japan considered Chinese military force can effectively curb and balance the Soviet threat though it was quite disadvantageous. At the same time, it was hard for the Chinese military force to guarantee the increased military expenditure while its weaponry excels in quantity instead of quality, which makes it disadvantageous even in conflict with Vietnam.The second chapter focuses on Japanese government’s view of China in1990s. In the political sphere, Japan paid much attention on the amendment and development of Sino-American relationship, concluding that the issue of human rights and the issue of Taiwan are major obstacles between China and America. At the same time, Japan was concentrated on the alternation of Chinese political leadership, considering stability to be a crucial domestic policy for China in this period. As to the economic assistance, Japan’s ODA towards China was no longer an official economic assistance, but rather a political and diplomatic means to curb China. This adjustments in policy also reflect the change of Japan’s view of China. In the military sphere, the Taiwan Strait crisis accelerated a redefinition of The United States-Japan Security Treaty, which serves as a significant event in Japanese government’s view of China. In this period, Japan and the United States started to pay much attention to China’s nuclear weaponry, military expenditure increase and maritime explorations, revealing severe vigilant feeling.The third chapter studies the Japanese government’s view of China in21st century. In the political sphere, Japanese government showed much more concern about unsettled issues between the two countries, including the Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to Yasukuni Shrine, abandoned chemical weapons, territoriality in East China sea, and the Poisonous Dumpling Incident, from historical disputes to real conflicts, from energy crisis to food safety. At the same time, Japan again mentions China’s policy of maintaining domestic stability, pointing out that regional imbalance in development and enlargement of residents income gap are factors that will long impact the domestic stability of China. Influenced by domestic criticism on ODA towards China, Japanese government gradually cut down and eventually suspend its loans that had been provided to China for over30years. In military sphere, Japan enormously exaggerated the China threat theory and was especially alert to China’s maritime activities.