China and Japan: East Asia’s ‘severe and complex’ bilateral relationship

This is the latest installment of China’s World, Duncan Bartlett’s monthly column on China’s diplomatic and political relationships with countries around the world.

The current Chinese ambassador to Japan, Wú Jiānghào 吴江浩 has been studying the Japanese language since he was a teenager, and has lived in Tokyo on and off since the early 1990s.

He is currently attempting to persuade Japan not to join America’s so-called “chip choke” by curbing semiconductor exports to China.

“The United States’ objective is to reestablish its dominance in the semiconductor sector. If [Japan] follows the path designed by the U.S., there will only be one result: a ‘lose-lose’ situation for both China and Japan, with the U.S. emerging as the sole winner,” Wu told the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT) in Tokyo on June 2.

During the meeting, Wu candidly described the current state of bilateral ties between China and Japan as “severe and complex.”

Blistering exchange

He was speaking after what appears to have been a blistering exchange between the Japanese ambassador to Beijing, Hideo Tarumi 垂秀夫, and the Chinese foreign vice-minister, Sūn Wèidōng 孙卫东.

According to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on May 21, Sun said that Japan, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7, has colluded with other countries in smearing and attacking China, and grossly interfering in China’s internal affairs.

The minister expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” to several clauses contained in a communiqué from the G7 summit, which was held in Hiroshima in May. The document criticized China for militarization of the South China Sea, “economic coercion,” and meddling in the politics of other countries.

By all accounts, Tarumi was robust in his response.

“It is natural for G7 countries to discuss shared concerns. Things are not likely to change unless China changes its behavior,” the ambassador told Wu, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

Mainstream Japanese politicians see China as an adversary

An expert on Japan’s foreign relations told The China Project that within Tokyo’s political circles, the current prevailing view of China is to regard it as an adversary. The person, who asked not to be named, said that China “is intent on creating a new world order that fits its style,” and that “the new order will look very different from the order that we live in today; it’s not about freedom, it’s not about democracy, it’s not about the rule of law, but it is about establishing an order that is comfortable for the Chinese Communist Party.”

In May, The China Project asked Noriyuki Shikata 四方敬之, the cabinet secretary for public affairs, about the official outlook for the relationship between G7 and China.

He told us that in recent discussions among G7 members, “China’s military expansion” is causing “serious concern for Japan and the international community,” and that some of China’s “behaviors pose a strategic challenge.” But “there is recognition among G7 member states that there are areas in which we should collaborate with China, including climate change, biodiversity, global health, and gender equality.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida 岸田 文雄 met with Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 in November 2022 in Bangkok, indicating some momentum for dialogue, and Shikata said, “Kishida is trying to establish a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship and our governments will continue to engage at various levels,” but that “Japan needs to convey to China its concerns at the highest possible level and to encourage China to behave responsibly in addressing global challenges.”

Discussions on defense

One significant example of recent Sino-Japanese engagement was a meeting between the Japanese defense minister, Yasukazu Hamada 浜田 靖一, and his Chinese counterpart, Lǐ Shàngfú 李尚福, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 3.

After their talks, Hamada told reporters that he had expressed “grave concerns” over China and Russia’s continuous joint military activities around Japan.

General Li used his speech at the conference to outline China’s security objectives for the region. “Today, what Asia-Pacific needs are big pies of open and inclusive cooperation, not small cliques that are self-serving and exclusive,” said Li.

This fits with the narrative of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that the era of American dominance in Asia should end and that U.S. allies, such as Japan, must adapt to an emboldened and powerful China.

Xi Jinping captured this idea in a speech he gave on regional security in 2014: “In the final analysis, it is for the people of Asia to run the affairs of Asia, solve the problems of Asia, and uphold the security of Asia,” he said.

Rock-solid alliance

Despite China’s protests, the alliance between the United States and Japan has “never been closer,” according to U.S. President Joe Biden.

There are around 50,000 U.S. military personnel in the country, mainly based in Tokyo and on the island of Okinawa. As well as maintaining a combat-ready force in Japan, the Americans shield the country under a nuclear umbrella. In the case of war, the U.S. would take command, while the Japanese Self-Defense Force is expected to follow orders to hunt submarines or intercept missiles.

When Biden met Prime Minister Kishida in Washington in January, he said the United States was “fully, thoroughly, completely” committed to Japan’s defense and praised Tokyo’s security buildup, which includes a commitment to significantly raise military spending.

South Korea has also said it will raise its defense budget and has agreed to closer military cooperation with Japan. The U.S. encourages frequent trilateral meetings involving its East Asian partners. This annoys China, which accuses Washington of trying to create a regional bloc in order to retain its dominance.

Taiwan tensions — “Those playing with fire will get burnt”

The situation in Taiwan is watched closely by the Japanese government. The PLA frequently conducts military drills near the island, close to Japan’s territorial waters. Furthermore, Chinese ships frequently enter the sea around the Senkaku Islands, which China claims as the Diaoyu Islands.

G7 foreign ministers discussed both issues in Karuizawa in Japan in April. Their joint communiqué — fully endorsed by Japan — stated:

“We reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element in security and prosperity in the international community, and call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.”

In China’s view, this amounts to “gross interference” in its internal affairs. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wāng Wénbīn 汪文斌 said on April 18 that the statement reflected “the group’s arrogance, prejudice, and deliberate desire to block and contain China.”

Wang accused Prime Minister Kishida of “playing with fire” by “hollowing out the one-China principle.”

“We urge the U.S., Japan, and other G7 members to adhere to the political documents on their bilateral relations with China, follow the one-China principle, stop conniving at and supporting ‘Taiwan independence’ forces, stop making provocations and playing with fire on the Taiwan question, and never stand on the opposite side of over 1.4 billion Chinese people. Those playing with fire will get burnt,” he said.

Japanese voices calling for better relations with China

Despite the inflammatory rhetoric at the diplomatic level, there are people in Japan who long for better relations between the two countries. They point out that China is Japan’s largest economic trading partner and prior to the pandemic, more than a million Chinese people visited Japan annually as tourists.

One advocate of a warmer approach is Yohei Kono 河野 洋平, a former leader of the ruling LDP political party in Japan who is now president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT). His organization “cherishes long-lasting friendship” with China and strives to “contribute to world peace and stability by promoting economic activities,” according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

However, Kono, who is now 86 years old, is a marginal figure within Japanese politics. The majority of voices in the Diet take a far more hawkish position and wish to ensure Japan is not outmatched by its rival.