Japan's foreign policy toward China

Ongoing situation
Japan and China have not built so good relation. Why can't we be true friend? Or, don't we think it needs to be good friend? For Japan's perspective, we think that this relation is not more important than Japan-US relation and other West countries'. So far, Japan's strength has regarded as its economy and technology, but many recent indexes and evaluations of economy, such as GDP, show that China is getting ahead of Japan. Japan strongly needed to surpass US and many West countries by economically, while, Japan couldn't well cooperate with China which is different from relationships with many Southeast Asian countries. And also, many honorable global companies, such as TOYOTA, SONY, are relatively weakened. In this situation, Japan gradually thinks about Japan-China relationship seriously. Japan-China relationship has not be so good for some reasons. Having said that, Japan and China are both big countries in Asia, and we both think our good relation is needed for tackling global issues effectively with US, EU and other many countries.

Basis of Japan-China relationship
Why haven't Japan and China build good relations so far? First, the memory of the War has been the trouble issue. Japan was defeated, and Japan wanted to surpass US by economically development. China was not defeated, but has many inner political incidents and the memory of war was used as tying the people firmly. Second, both Japan and China are allied with US. Military balance has been always trouble issues in Japan-China relationship, and this balance was well organized by US. Nixon's surprising visit to Beijing in 1972 was good example. US has kept Japan and China from militarily conflict for the sake of Cold War and the Vietnam War. So, both Japan and China couldn't talk each other about security issues directly, namely without US. Third, Japan and China have different ways of political systems and languages. China is still governed by only one socialist party. Very few Japanese have learned Chinese, it seems same in China for leaning Japanese. We couldn't know each other well. These distrusts are the basis of Japan-China unhappy relationship.

How to achieve "our objectives"?
  According to the Prof. Tanaka's article, there are three key issues: representation in international institutions, deeper cooperation over energy issues and the environment, and expanded dialogue and collaboration over the consolidation of a regional architecture in East Asia. These three objectives are comprehensive, and "no single nation and alliance will be able to achieve". That is to say, these objectives are not only for Japan but also for China. However, we are not ready to work hand in hand because of distrusts. We should talk, meet and discuss each other at first. For these people's mutual dialogues are important in foreign relations with Japan and China.