ABSTRACT
The focus of this chapter is to examine Chinese perceptions of both Japan’s global strategy and its security strategy in the Asia-Pacifi c region. The fi rst part of the chapter deals with the views of PRC scholars and security specialists on Japan’s political aspirations in the post-Cold War world within the context of its changing domestic political environment. This is followed by an analysis of Chinese perceptions of Japan’s Asia-Pacifi c strategy with special reference to Japanese-US security relations, Japan’s strategy towards ASEAN, China and the Taiwan Strait, North Korea and Russia. Drawing on the insights of realism, liberalism, constructivism and postmodernism, the fi nal section provides a theoretical analysis of the security discourse of Chinese analysts on Japan.
