Sino-Japanese Relations

[JSojourner]

Question for those of you who know...

Just how bad is the blood between China and Japan these days?  Every once in awhile, you read and article or hear a news story about the Chinese being offended over what they perceive to be a Japanese "whitewash" of the Rape of Nanking and other atrocities.  The Japanese often respond in kind with complaints about China's current human rights record.

I can't imagine these two countries ever coming blows over this.  At least not a military confrontation.  Anyone care to opine about this?

And is there any appreciable difference in attitudes between the Taiwanese and Japan?  (I would think not.)

[dead0man]

They don't like each other very much and that doesn't look to be changing....as far as I can tell.

[JSojourner]

They don't like each other very much and that doesn't look to be changing....as far as I can tell.

I'm certain of that much, Dead. It's pretty classic.  The Japanese won't own up to the Rape of Nanking and the Chinese won't own up to the rape of Tibet.  One difference is that the Japanese butchered millions of Chinese in the 30's and 40's.  To my knowledge, aside from a couple of disastrous Mongol attempts at invasion, there has been no Japanese holocaust at the hands of the Chinese.  Not to say that, given a chance...

[Stranger in a strange land]

It's pretty bad. Chinese (and Koreans for that matter) view Japan much the same way most Arabs view Israel. Taiwan has a significantly more positive view towards Japan, though it's probably still negative on balance. Still, despite all this, trade between all these countries is strong, and I don't think a military conflict any time in the foreseeable future.

[The Ex-Factor]

From what I understand, Chinese-Japanese tensions are encouraged by political leaders in both countries as a means of fueling nationalist sentiment and perhaps distracting the public from problems at home. There's a legitimate historical animosity behind Japan's equivocal apologizing for World War II crimes, but beyond that the self-righteous posturing is based on fears - China by the Japanese-American military alliance, Japan by China's economic rise. Korean-Japanese animosity is much more legitimate.

Japan could smooth a lot of things over by not making any more visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, censuring right-wing history textbooks, and not making stupid comments like that Korean comfort women "should be proud" of being comfort women. But in contrast to Germany, Japan has retained a rather nationalistic and xenophobic mindset even after WWII, and it doesn't want to lose face by apologizing for things that happened a long time ago.

I personally opine that it it's all posturing - none of these countries have any real desire to go to war with each other, as it would wreck havoc on the world economy. If military conflict was ever to break out it would have to do with those crazy bastards in North Korea and not because of a breakdown in Chinese-Japanese (or South Korean) relations.

[2952-0-0]

It's just a sideshow by political leaders when they need something to steal public attention.

Of course there are idiot morans who act like it's 1933, but money makes the world go round.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Yes, it seems the situation is effectively like described in the 2 preceding post. That said, if ever in case of a global war, if those have to choose a camp, seems that wouldn't be the same.

[The Mikado]

China stirs up bad blood with Japan so its people have an Emmanuel Goldstein to vent against.  Meanwhile, Japanese and Chinese business and trade links get closer than ever.

[JSojourner]

Very interesting.  Thanks for all the responses.