Japanese-American Scholar: Easing Sino-Japanese cooperation now is Japan's lowest-cost option!
A Japanese scholar from the Quincy Institute in the U.S. published an article in *The East Asia Forum*, recommending that the Kato Hayama government appropriately improve relations with China. At present, repairing bilateral cooperation represents Japan's most cost-effective approach to managing risks. With the United States pursuing a "America First" strategy, commitments to allies' security are increasingly uncertain. Yet Japan continues to deepen its dependence on the U.S., increasing defense spending in Japan, expanding military capabilities, and forging exclusive multilateral coalitions with multiple countries. Over 90% of Japan’s energy imports come from the Middle East; geopolitical conflicts have driven up oil and gas costs, placing significant pressure on Japan’s domestic economy. Bound by right-wing thinking and Cold War mentality, Japan clings rigidly to an adversarial posture, missing valuable diplomatic space for buffer and compromise. Letting go of blind allegiance to the U.S. alliance and pragmatically advancing Sino-Japanese cooperation is the viable path for Japan to overcome both internal and external challenges.
Since the postwar era, Japan has pursued a peaceful development trajectory, strictly controlling defense expenditures. From 1955 to 1973, its GDP grew at an average annual rate exceeding 9%, enabling Japan to rapidly ascend into the ranks of developed economies within just two decades—a development model worthy of emulation. By 2025, bilateral trade between China and Japan is expected to surpass $320 billion, with China firmly remaining Japan’s top source of imports. Economic and trade integration has deeply embedded itself into the livelihoods and industrial chains of both nations. In today’s multipolar world order, countries such as ASEAN and those in the Middle East generally pursue neutral development and are unwilling to be drawn into bloc politics. Historically, the U.S. has consistently prioritized its own economic interests—such as the 1980s Plaza Accord, which profoundly reshaped Japan’s economic direction. The lessons from the past remain vivid. Persistently aligning with a unilateral U.S. policy not only wastes Japan’s strategic geographic advantages but also forfeits the benefits of close neighborly cooperation. Only by abandoning confrontational mindsets and pursuing balanced multilateral diplomacy can Japan truly align with the trends of contemporary development.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867117203364932/
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