Competing as Potential Superpowers: Japan's China Policy 1978-1998 by Wenran Jiang, B.A., M.A. A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilmcnt of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario Nov. 6,1998 copyright 1998, Wenran Jiang National Library Bibliothèque nationale 191 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre rdldrsnce Our fils NNre rtittirence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Librq of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seil reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in rnicroform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts £rom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be piuted or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT This dissertation examines Japan's relations with China in the context of interactions between potential hegemonic powers in the world political econorny. It contends that the fundamental question in Sino-Japanese relations is neither misperception nor misunderstanding. The nature of Japan's relations with China is predominately determined by the two countries' relative positions in the world political economy which has gone through major sîructural changes in the past two decades. It is the two countries' changing status in the changing international system, their conflicting national interests, and their irreconcilable national goals in the region and in the world that have been prirnarily responsible for the ups and doms in the bilateral relationship in the closing decades of the twentieth century. This thesis also argues that Japan's domestic politics has played a powerhl role in shaping its relations with China. Successfully dealing with Beijing is critical for Japan if it is to assert any meaningfûl global role, yet despite Tokyo's repeated attempts since the 1970s to incorporate China into an East Asian regional fiamework centred on Japan, a set of complicated intemal developments in Japanese politics, interacting with external factors, have hampered the realization of this policy goal. Japan is still in the process of searching for a successfd China policy while coping with the uncertainties presented by a China that is rapidly ernerging as a major world power. Theoretically, the project explores how the interaction between structural factors at the level of the international system and domestic factors at the nation-state or unit level have afEected Japan's China policy. Empirically, this thesis argues, through eight case studies, that a number of commonly accepted models of Japanese foreign policy do not accurately depict Japanese behaviour towards the People's Republic of China; that the perception of Beijing as the sole unstable and unpredictable party in the bilateral relationship is incorrect; and that Japan's relations with China must be studied in a broader fiamework of systemic transformations of the international political economy. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would not have been able to compete this project without the help, support and encouragement of many teachers, fiiends, institutions, and farnily members. 1thank my initial supervisor Professor Robert Bedeski (before he left for the University of Victoria) for not only helping me to set up the early outline of the thesis but also for helping me to receive the Japan Foundation Dissertation Fellowship. The rnembers of my advisory cornmittee, Professors John Sigler, Lynn Mytelka and Jeremy Paltiel, tolerated my delays and directed me along the right path at different stages of this effort. Their teachings, together with many other professors in the Department of Political Science and the Norman Paterson School of International Relations at Carleton University, have taiight me a great deal about critical thinking, social science, and being an academic. In particular, rny supervisor Professor Paltiel, as a mentor and a friend, provided me with detailed and critical advice with great patience, and his expertise on the subject made it possible for me to make revisions vital to the completion of the thesis. Many thanks go to the suggestions provided by Professors Michael Hawes and David Carment for the thesis' final revision. Professor Glen Williams has been a great source of intellectual stimulation. 1thank Valerie Pereboom for her extra support over the years at Carleton. My gratitude also goes to Professors Car1 Mcmillan, Ted English and Jacob Kovalio. It is always diff~cultto write a dissertation while teaching full time, but the task has been made easier by the consistent support 1have received from the University of Alberta. 1 thank al1 the members of the Department of Political Science, especially Professors Thomas Keating, S.M.M. Qureshi, Fred Judson, Ian Urquhart, Linda Tremble, and Janine Brodie. 1 would also like to thank Dean Patricia Clements and Associate Dean Gurston Dacks of the Arts Faculty, and Professors Richard Lynn, Sonja Arntzen, Eva Neumaier-Dargy ay and Jenni fer Jay of East Asian Studîes. Their trust and encouragement have been invaluable. 1 would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Japan Foundation, which made it possible for me to conduct the research for this project. The Institute of Oriental Culture at Tokyo University, the Institute of International Relations at Sophia University and the Institute of Economic Research at Hitotsubashi University in Japan for having hosted me during my research trips. Professors Hosoya Chihiro, Inoguchi Takashi, Ogata Sadako, Royama Michio, Minami Ryoshin and Asai Furoburni have been great advisors. Their support was indispensable while 1was in Japan. 1owe a great deal to Professor Robert GiIpin for both his intellectud influence and friendship. Many friends have in one way or the other contributed to my Ph.D. program. Jaime Florcruz, Dr. Alan Juffs, Mr. and Mrs. Hartigrink, Brian and Ruth Wilson have been both great friends and my English teachers. They have always been there when 1 needed their support. Simple words cannot express my deep gratitude. 1would also like to thank other fiiends: Shu Li, Lusheng Jia, Anne-Marie Treaholt, Keiko Sueuchi, Bai Gao, Zhou Peiwu. Finally, 1 would like to Say that my wife Tanya has been the most important person in this project. Her patience, tolerance, love, insights on the thesis contents and editing skills are the key to the completion of the project. This thesis is dedicated to her and our parents whose love and care have been with us al1 along. Of course, none of the people and institutions but 1 who is solely responsible for any errors in the thesis. vii NOTES ON THE TEXT Throughout this dissertation, Japanese and Chinese names are given in their original order, with the family narne fmt. However, the bibliography is alphabetically arranged according to the family name. If a Japanese or a Chinese author publishes in both English and Japanese/Chinese, that author's name appears in the footnotes in the order of its original publication. The long vowel does not appear on Japanese names that are fiequently printed in English, such as Osaka (Ôsaka) and Ohira (Ôhira). The pinyin system is used for the rornanization of Chinese terrns. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract Acknowledgernent Notes on the text Table of Contents ix List of Tables xii .. List of Figures Xlll List of Appendices xiv List of Abbreviations xv List of Japanese and Chinese terms xvii CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1. The Penod Under Research II. An Evaluation of the Current Research ILI. The Analytical Framework CHAPTER 2: China Fever and the China Rush 1. The International Environment of Japan's China Diplomacy II. Case Study One - Domestic Politics and Japan's China Policy before and after the 1978 Peace Treaty III. Case Sixdy Two - Japan in Motion for Capturing the Chinese Market IV. Conclusion CHAPTER 3: Political Frictions: Misperceptions or CaIculated Risks? 1. Japan in the 1980s II. Case Study Three - The "Textbook Dispute" III. Case Study Four - Nakasone's Visit to the Yasukuni Shrine IV. History as Politics and Politics as History V. Conclusion CWTER4: Tokyo's Balance Game: Member of the West But Voice for China? 1. Neither East Nor West: Japan's "Identity Crisis" II. Case Study Five - The Nature of Japan's ODA to the PRC III. Case Study Six - Japan's Post-Tiananrnen Diplomacy TV. The Emperor Goes to Beijing V. Conclusion CHAPTER 5: Coping With China: Engagement as Containment? 1. From the "Japan Problem" to the "China Problem" II. Case Study Seven - Expanding ODA Objectives: The Third and Fourth Yen Loans III. Case Study Eight - Japan's China Policy and the 1996 Japan-U.S . Security Agreement IV. Conclusion CHAPTER 6: Conclusions 1. China in Japan's Comprehensive National Security Framework II. Evaluating Japan's China Policy Performance m. Domestic Politics and Japan's China Policy IV. Sino-Japanese Relations in the Changing International System Appendices Bibliography LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Japan's Main Trading Partners, 1929-54 Table 2 China's Ten-Year Plan, 1976- 1985 Table 3 Japan's Yen Loans To China Table 4 An Assessrnent of Japan's China Policy 1978-98 xii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Complex Strategic Triangles in the Post Cold War Era LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the People's Republic of China and Japan Appendix II Summary of the Report on Comprehensive National Security Appendix III Japan-US.