Multilateral means for bilateral ends: Japan, regionalism, and China–Japan–US trilateral dynamism

Abstract

The conventional understanding of Japan's approach to East Asian regionalism is that of a primacy struggle with China, using both hard and soft balancing. However, Japan's strategic priority remains extending and managing the alliance with the US in the post-Cold War era. The increasing trilateral dynamics among China, Japan and the US have largely influenced Japan's perception of its position in the alliance, which frames the basic thinking of Japan's attitudes toward regionalism. Japan's policy and diplomacy toward regionalism have been subordinate to alliance management rather than to a strategic policy shift. Meanwhile, Japan's perception of its regional influence vis-à-vis China also affects Japan's calculation in regionalism.

Keywords:

• Regionalism
• alliance
• Japan
• China
• the United States
• trilateral relations

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yun Zhang

Yun Zhang is Associate Professor of International Relations at National Niigata University, Japan. He began this paper when he served as Visiting Scholar at Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology during 2010–2011. The author would like to thank Professor Richard J. Samuels, Director for International Studies, MIT, for the sponsorship and insightful feedbacks on the original draft. He would also like to thank Professor Wang Jisi, Dean of School of International Studies, Peking University, for his constructive comments on the design stage of the project.