34. Japan-China relations and implications for Australia - with Amy King

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Japan have long had a fraught relationship, with tensions deeply rooted in history. The rift between the two countries was deepened by an escalation of friction over the East China Sea in 2012. In May 2018 Beijing and Tokyo agreed to set up a security hotline to avoid accidental clashes in the East China Sea. But tensions between the countries over the disputed waters continue to simmer. In October 2018 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and PRC President Xi Jinping agreed to start a ‘new era’ in bilateral relations during Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Beijing – the first state visit to China by a Japanese Prime Minister in 7 years. Is there evidence that a ‘new era’ in Sino-Japanese relations has indeed begun? What are the driving forces behind this détente of sorts between China and Japan? And how much of an impact has increasingly strained US-China relations had on this proposed shift in tack? During Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Beijing, both sides signed a number of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) signalling cooperation on infrastructure projects in third countries. These agreements were not labelled as endorsement of Beijing’s signature foreign policy venture, the Belt and Road Initiative. Shortly thereafter, Japan signed an MOU with Australia on boosting infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region. How should this be interpreted? What are the lessons, if any, for Australia in Japan’s strategy? Dr Amy King, senior lecturer in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at The Australian National University (ANU), joins Elena Collinson, senior researcher at the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to discuss these questions and more. Dr King provides insights into developments in Japan-China relations and the implications for Australia, and possible takeaways for Australia in Japan’s management of its bilateral with the PRC.