Sino-Japanese Rivalry: Implications for U.S. Policy

Abstract

During 2006, a consortium of policy research organizations conducted an in-depth examination of the troubled Sino-Japanese relationship and the implications of those tensions for U.S. interests. Chaired by James Kelly, former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the project brought together a range of policy and regional experts to explore all aspects of the topic. Collaborating institutions included the Center for Naval Analyses, the Institute for Defense Analyses, the National Defense University Institute for National Strategic Studies, and the Pacific Forum/Center for Strategic and International Studies. Assessing the Sino-Japanese relationship is no easy task, given its scope, complexity, and the legacies of historical experience. Even so, the participants believe the following 11 key findings can help to provide essential building blocks for some basic judgments about the relationship, its potential to devolve into sustained rivalry, and the stakes at issue for the United States: (1) For the First Time in Modern History, a Rising China and a Reemerging Japan are Facing One Another as East Asia's Preeminent Powers; (2) Neither Tokyo Nor Beijing Will Be Content to Be Number Two in Asia; (3) History Will Be a Continuing Impediment; (4) The Dispute Over East China Sea Resources is Increasingly Serious; (5) The Bilateral Economic Relationship is a Shock Absorber; (6) The Taiwan Issue Looms as a Major Irritant in Beijing; (7) China's Military Modernization is a Major Concern in Tokyo; (8) The Construct of a Bipolar Rivalry Oversimplifies the Problem if it Causes Policymakers to Assume That Others Are Not Involved; (9) A Strengthened U.S.-Japan Alliance Triggers Concern in Beijing; (10) Sino-Japanese Rivalry Poses Challenges for the U.S.-Japan Alliance; and (11) Some of the Factors Creating Tension in Sino-Japanese Relations also Trouble Republic of Korea-Japan Relations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA468304

Entities

People

  • Alan Romberg
  • Brad Glosserman
  • Brad Roberts
  • James F. Kelly
  • James Przystup
  • Michael Mcdevitt
  • Ralph Cossa

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Alliances
  • Asia
  • Cold War
  • Commerce
  • East China Sea
  • Governments
  • Intellectual Property
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Military Modernization
  • National Security
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Academic Conference Management
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Strategic Security Studies