Analyzing the China-Japan Diplomatic Crisis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61173/ihcs10962Keywords:
Sino-Japanese relations, Taiwan Strait, Chinese Foreign Policy, Japanese Foreign Policy, East Asian SecurityAbstract
The China-Japan diplomatic crisis of 2025–2026, triggered by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s remarks concerning a potential Taiwan contingency, reflects deeper tensions over sovereignty, historical memory, national identity, and regional security. This essay examines the crisis through a comparative review of Chinese and English-language scholarship, asking why China interpreted Japan’s statement as a challenge to sovereignty while Japan regarded its position as a legitimate response to a potential security threat. Taking a multidimensional approach, the crisis is best understood as a security dilemma in which defensive measures by one state are interpreted as offensive intentions by the other. A more balanced analysis requires engagement with both Chinese and Western scholarship rather than favoring either perspective.
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