Issues between China and Japan (Essay Sample)

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The Issue between Japan and China
China and Japan are undoubtedly the economic giants of the East; they have the world’s second and third-biggest economies and together share the third largest trading relationship worldwide. Despite being financially interdependent to a great extent, they have a complicated political relationship that stems from unresolved history. Tensions have been quite high between the two nations of late, unfortunately, due to causes arising from historical disputes mainly based on political and territorial affairs. The recent fight precipitated by the regional clashes over the two Senkaku and Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, date from as early as 2012 (BBC). This war arguably represents a severe widening of the political distance between these two states in recent memory. The disputes almost gravitated towards a military shoot out with each country setting up Air-Defense-Zone restrictions.
Over the years, the differences between them have grown widely perpetuated by political wrangles. There have been numerous instances of political tension in the recent past. In 2001, for example, national meetings for the delegation between China and Japan were suspended. After that in 2005, Chinese native’s citizens openly boycotted Japanese manufactured products. In 2010, there were public demonstrations over the arrests of a Chinese public bus trawler by the Japanese law enforcement agents. When did this enmity begin? When was the line crossed?
This historic rivalry dates back to 19th and 20th century’s Sino-Japanese wars caused by struggles for land and dominance. Opium wars and the World Wars worsened the Japanese and Chinese grudge; invasion of Japanese incident being most instrumental. In fact, the main reason behind the latest conflict involving the Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands is believed to be propelled by the same historical conflicts. According to China, the Islands were taken from it during the war era and that the Ming Dynasty annexed it and placed it under Taiwan. Japan officially annexed them from Taiwan during the war period. However, Japan argues that the islands were uninhabited which they incorporated as vacant territories.
Ironically, despite their long political struggles, their economic ties are remarkably stable; the total trade between the two states amounted to almost $334 billion in the year 2012. Both countries mutually rely on each other. China’s import from Japan is massive; probably more than from any other country. Japan possesses technological expertise that China needs for its industrial advancement such as energy efficiency. Chinese consumers, alternatively, buy from Japanese brands, such as Toyota, offsetting a competitive home market for local goods that can compete against global competitors like General Motors.
One notable issue is the economic toll between the two countries’ economies due to the mounting tension. In 2012-2013, trade between the two states declined by 10.3%. Even worse, Japanese investors are...