ABSTRACT
Japan became the pivot of the triangle with China and the United States by 1991, first to boost relations with China after the Tiananmen massacre of 1989 and also eager to forge a regional community, at first separate from the United States and then inclusive of its ally as concern about China’s intentions mounted. China treated Japan as the likelier target to drive a wedge, and certain Japanese officials sought a breakthrough for autonomous diplomacy, closer economic ties, or hedging against uncertainty over Sino-US relations. The main story in this triangle was Sino-Japanese relations. Even if the US-Japan marriage has been in little doubt, triangular dynamics affected the behavior of all three sides. In economics, this is the premier triangle. In security, it pits the principal US alliance against the state most intent on testing that relationship. Finally, in national identity, this triangle is where themes such as “Asian values,” a shared “community” for exclusive Asian regionalism, and a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” have been tested. Bipolarity reinforced Japan’s shift to solidify the alliance to check Chinese aggressive moves. Recognizing the value of summitry to calm tensions and make the most of already extensive economic ties, Japan sought more diplomacy with China, but its choices increasingly infuriated that country. On the 50th anniversary of normalization in 2022, relations had fallen into a downward spiral.
