In a region characterized by economic dynamism and strategic complexity, relations between Northeast Asia’s two economic giants are more fraught with tensions and contradictions than any other dyad. Economic complementarities have succeeded in muting historical distrust to a point, but the evolving Diaoyu/Senkaku dispute, in addition to the real danger of strategic missteps, reveals intense, longstanding (and sometimes instrumentalized) suspicions and animosity.  This special issue of the CPI blog provides insights from academic specialists and practitioners on the complexities of China-Japan relations from multiple perspectives. The line-up includes:

June Teufel Dreyer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami.

Kerry Brown, Executive Director of the China Studies Centre, University of Sydney, and former Head of Chatham House Asia Programme.

GUO Dingping, Professor of Political Science and former Director of the Center for Japanese Studies at Fudan University, Director Nottingham Confucius Institute.

Danie Stockman, Assistant Professor of political science, University of Leiden.

John Swenson-Wright, Senior Lecturer in Modern Japanese Politics and International Relations, Cambridge University and Associate Fellow Chatham House.

Don Keyser, former US diplomat in Beijing and Tokyo

Sir David Warren, UK Ambassador to Japan 2008-2012 and Chairman of the Japan Society.

Andrew Chubb, PhD candidate, University of Western Australia and owner of the blog South China Sea Conversations

Bruce Jacobs, Professor of Asian Languages and Studies at Monash University.

Steve Tsang, Professor of Contemporary Chinese Studies and Director of the China Policy Institute, University of Nottingham

Please do add your voice to the discussion in comments, or mail me at jonlsullivan at gmail dot com with feedback. Opinions expressed on this blog are the authors’ own.