The world is run by those willing to sit until the end of meetings How Japan’s Prime Minister Abe’s visit to China improved Sino-Japanese relations

In the beginning of 2018, The United States under President Trump started a trade war with China. At the same time Japan-United States relations experienced similar tensions due to a trade deficit. This paper will investigate Japan’s changed diplomacy towards China amidst the ongoing China-United States trade war. The study focuses on a recent official visit by Japan’s Prime Minister Abe to China that took place from the 25th to the 27th of October 2018. The visit was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China. In order to portray Japan’s changed diplomacy primary sources of the visit will be used, as well as secondary sources from Chinese and Japanese media (such as the Japan Times and South China Morning Post). To further answer this question, economic diplomacy is used as a theoretical framework. This thesis finds that Sino-Japanese relations have stabilized due to tensions from the United States and both parties seek to...Show moreIn the beginning of 2018, The United States under President Trump started a trade war with China. At the same time Japan-United States relations experienced similar tensions due to a trade deficit. This paper will investigate Japan’s changed diplomacy towards China amidst the ongoing China-United States trade war. The study focuses on a recent official visit by Japan’s Prime Minister Abe to China that took place from the 25th to the 27th of October 2018. The visit was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China. In order to portray Japan’s changed diplomacy primary sources of the visit will be used, as well as secondary sources from Chinese and Japanese media (such as the Japan Times and South China Morning Post). To further answer this question, economic diplomacy is used as a theoretical framework. This thesis finds that Sino-Japanese relations have stabilized due to tensions from the United States and both parties seek to improve economic relations. The visit also paved a way for future visits and thus a continued strengthening of Sino-Japanese relations and building of trust. However, bilateral historical and territorial issues remain unresolved.Show less

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The world is run by those willing to sit until the end of meetings How Japan’s Prime Minister Abe’s visit to China improved Sino-Japanese relations