China–Japan Relations in the Twenty-first Century: Creating a Future Past?

This book examines the often troubled relationship between Japan and China from a broad interdisciplinary perspective. Utilising the expertise of Chinese, Japanese and regional specialists working in a variety of fields, this original work approaches the contemporary sources of tensions between these two Asian giants from several levels of analysis. In particular the domestic-state interface in both countries and the important role of historical perceptions in the region are explored.China-Japan Relations in the Twenty-first Century avoids perceiving the discord between China and Japan simply from an international relations-based perspective, as has been the tendency of recent scholarly analysis. Rather, it strives to set the existing relationship in the context of historical interaction, the influence of culture on mutual perceptions, the role of ideologies - particularly nationalism, domestic political and economic changes that affect China and Japan's state-to-state perceptions and relations, and their changing regional and global relations. The book firmly emphasises the importance of history and historical memory in the construction of relations; a relationship constructed on present perceptions of the past that also shape expectations for the future. This is a unique and topical book, using the tensions of 2005 between China and Japan as the point of departure for a broad historical, political, cultural and international relations analysis. As such it will appeal to scholars at many levels of academe in the fields of Asian studies, international relations, regional studies and government.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface 1. Introduction: 2005 – China and Japan’s Year of Living Dangerously Michael Heazle and Nick Knight PART I: LIVING IN THE PAST? THE POLITICS OF NATIONALISM IN CHINA 2. The Influence of Chinese Nationalism on Sino–Japanese Relations Jian Zhang 3. East Asian Multilateral Cooperation and the Prospects for China–Japan Relations Xia Liping 4. Thinking About Globalisation, Thinking About Japan: Dichotomies in China’s Construction of the Modern World Nick Knight PART II: THE PAST IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT – THE SPECTRE OF NATIONALISM IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN 5. ‘Will you go to War? Or will you stop being Japanese?’: Nationalism and History in Kobayashi Yoshinori’s Sensoron Rumi Sakamoto 6. Competing Historical Perceptions in Japan’s Post-war Narratives Barbara Hartley 7. Japan under siege: Japanese Media Perceptions of China and the Two Koreas Six Decades after World War II Eric Johnston PART III: NORTHEAST ASIAN THREAT PERCEPTIONS: THE POLITICS OF FUTURE INTENTIONS 8. Two Tigers on the Same Mountain: China’s Security Policy Towards Japan Jian Yang 9. China’s Asian Policy: Multipolarity, Regionalism and Peaceful Rise Joseph Y.S. Cheng 10. Nationalism, Security, and Prosperity: The Three Dimensions of Sino–Japan Relations Michael Heazle PART IV: REGIONAL PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 11. Jealous Suitors: Sino–Japanese Competitive Regionalism and the Future of East Asia Michael Wesley 12. South Korea between China and Japan: Lifting the Cold War Lens David Hundt Index

About the Author :
Edited by Michael Heazle, Griffith Asia Institute & School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University and Nick Knight, formerly Professor of Asian Studies, Griffith University, Australia

Review :
'Of the many challenges facing the modern world, the complex relationship between China and Japan is one that urgently demands close analysis. Both sides want economic prosperity, but neither can forgo nationalist impulses or forget the hurt and humiliation of the recent past. With essays by experts in diverse fields ranging from political science to history, this book provides fascinating insights into this fraught relationship. It is a must-read for all those interested in the intricate pattern of Sino-Japanese interactions and international affairs.' - Kam Louie, University of Hong Kong 'China-Japan Relations in the Twenty-first Century is a unique and important volume, drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives to examine from both sides the domestic and international dynamics of the bilateral relationship. The China-Japan nexus holds the key to understanding the future of East Asia, and thus this excellent book should be required reading for all scholars of Chinese, Japanese and East Asian politics.' - Christopher W. Hughes, University of Warwick, UK 'China-Japan Relations in the Twenty-first Century brings together a range of leading scholars and disciplinary approaches in order to shed an analytical light on the two dominant powers in East Asia. With chapters on nationalism in China and Japan, as well as on Northeast Asian threat perceptions and the regional perceptions of these two powers, the volume offers a perceptive analysis of key issues affecting Sino-Japanese relations. It deserves to be widely read.' - Glenn Hook, The University of Sheffield, UK