Japan’s anxiety,suspicion and fear over China’s rise will influence the future development ofSino-Japanese relations, according to scholars of Fudan University in Shanghaiin a report released on Friday.
According to thereport, in the foreseeable future, the possibility of improving Sino-Japaneserelations is slim.
More effortsshould be made to prevent the deterioration of the relationship, includingcontinually supporting and encouraging civil interaction as well as economicand financial exchange, the report said.
The report, The Current Situation and Future Trend ofthe Sino-Japan Relationship, was co-written by university scholars withdifferent fields of expertise, including politics, international relations,diplomacy, history and media.
Japanese PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet sees China as a threat and attempts to containChina in every aspect, but this is unwise, said the report.
“China has neverseen Japan as a strategic enemy. China’s military strategy is defensive and itstrives for peaceful and win-win development with neighboring countries,” thereport said.
There is muchspeculation on whether there will be a meeting between the leaders of the twocountries at the APEC Economic Leader’s Summit in Beijing in November.President Xi Jinping and Abe have not talked face to face since taking office.
“It is verypossible that they will meet but not have an official talk. Japan refuses theslightest compromise on matters of principle,” said an expert cited in thereport who asked not to be named. “As long as there is no substantial progresson bilateral ties, there will not be talk.”
In September2012, the Japanese government “nationalized” China’s Diaoyu Islands, changingthe four-decade status quo of the dispute and letting the territorial issuedevelop.
In the long run,the mutual benefits between China and Japan are more economic, said ZhangHaochuan, deputy director of the Japan research center at Fudan University anda contributor to the report.
