Japan’s decline relative to China: Scenarios and implications for East Asia

Abstract

East Asia is witnessing a power shift with the rise of China and Japan’s relative decline. While Sino-Japanese relations have been extensively studied, a systematic examination of the power shift and its implications is lacking. This article attempts to help fill the gap. It begins with a discussion of four dimensions of power, including power as an attribute, relational power, structural power and soft power. It then investigates the shifting power balance between China and Japan in the four dimensions. The following section looks into four possible scenarios for the development of Sino-Japanese relations and their implications for East Asia.

• East Asia
• relational power
• Sino-Japanese relations
• soft power
• structural power