Taming Japan

Embracing different reasons, both leaders of Japan and People’s Republic of China expressed their willingness to improve deteriorated bilateral relationship in a meeting in Danang, Vietnam, on Saturday. To the proposal of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his visit to China in an appropriate timing and request of early visit to Japan, Xi Jinping showed his intention to take account of high-level mutual visits. They agreed on cooperation to urge North Korea policy change from nuclear and missile development.

Hoping to hold trilateral leaders’ talk, including South Korea, in Japan before the end of this year, Abe requested Xi to send Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang to Japan. “There will be no true stability of Japan-China relation without stability in East China Sea,” told Abe. Both governments are going to discuss activation of Japan-China Maritime and Air Communication Mechanism, which is a system for preventing accidental collision of military ships or aircrafts. It was not reasonable for Abe not to express frustration with constant violation of Japanese territory around Senkaku Islands by Chinese official ships.

Surprisingly enough, Abe welcomed China’s effort to implement United Nations resolutions on nuclear and missile development of North Korea. The reason why North Korea has been refraining from further intimidation these weeks is not because China’s sanction is crucial, but because the North faces a sort of stalemate. They also agreed on discussing how they would be able to contribute to regional stability and prosperity, including China’s modern imperialistic advance to the West with a cause of infrastructural development, One Belt One Road. Did it mean Japan’s participation to Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank in the future?

Yomiuri Shimbun analyzed that Abe wanted to improve the bilateral relationship which had been lagging behind among those with major nations. He sees possibility of the improvement for a momentum of further growth of Japanese economy. There are major corporations in Japan that recognize Belt and Road Initiative as a big business opportunity. Accepting Abe’s approach to China’s world strategy, Xi showed big smile to Abe for the first time in their relationship.

Basically, Xi is most interested in the big game with United States, proposing division of influential sphere in Pacific Ocean in two. After successful deal to deter US from involvement in the disputes in Asia with huge amount of investment to US business, Xi looked to be confident of taking hegemony in the region. He knows well about the fact that taming Japan leads to not giving US a cause of countering China.