The Role of Japan in the Transformation of Modern China

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Updated: Nov 22nd, 2023

It is undeniable that China has transformed itself into a modern country in recent years and this has been well done. As a matter of fact, the country has shaped itself to become a modern nation by its own terms. Anybody who visits China will be greeted by massive developments and modernization and this have been synonymous with a modern nation.

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There has been an argument as far as the country’s modernization is concerned. In this case, people are arguing if China is indeed western or just modernized (Wan 2006, p. 12). There are various aspects that are supposed to be looked at as far as the country’s modernization is concerned. In this case, we are not supposed to look at the country’s economic gains alone.

As a matter of fact, we can look at the country history and culture that have also modernized as time goes by. Currently, the country has established itself as an economic powerhouse and other aspects are set to improve to make it more sustainable. It should be known that the country has developed because of various aspects and factors.

This is based on the fact that a given country can not be sustainable without getting help from others. This is because there are certain things that need to be shared for long term sustainability (Emmott 2008, p. 17). This paper will therefore try to look at the role that Japan has played in the transformation of modern China. In this case, the paper will look at various aspects that have evolved as far as the two countries are concerned.

Japan has played various roles in the modern transformation of China and this is acceptable based on various aspects. During the Koizumi era, Japan and China did not have good relations and this has been improving as time goes by. There have been positive relations and both sides have always made good comments that indicate that the two countries will continue to relate well for long tern sustainability.

On the other hand, there have been contrasting developments that have continued to indicate that there might be frosty relations (Emmott 2008, p. 32). The two countries have enhanced their bilateral relations and this has seen China surge forward as far as economic development is concerned.

All along, China has agreed that it needs a good relationship with Japan for it to move forward. This is because such a relationship has served its national interests well. China will always seek for a compromise because of the role that Japan has played in its modernization. Japan knows that it has played a large role in the transformation of China and that is why they have never wanted to be at odds with its neighbor.

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This is as far as the country’s long term sustainability is concerned (Crossley 2010, p. 13). Japan has always wanted and promoted peace with China and this explains why the country has not been having problems with its neighbor. China has been enjoying peace and that is why it has focused its energy on transformation. This is mostly as far as economic transformation is concerned.

As much as there might be problems, Japan has always ensured that it does not engage in any activity that will disrupt Chinas peace and this has given the country enough time to focus on its own ideas. Japan is a big trading partner of China and this means that the county exports a lot.

China accounts for 13.5% of the country’s exports and this means that they share a lot. Currently, these exports stand at $80.1 billion (Crossley 2010, p. 78). China has a large population and this has acted as a good market for Japan. In this case, China has benefited a lot from other things that they don’t produce. In this case, Japan has immensely contributed to Chinas modernization through these imports. Just to show how important these imports are Japans exports to China increased by 18% in 2010 (Crossley 2010, p. 56).

Japan has helped in the transformation of China through foreign direct investments. These investments have helped to transform various sectors of the economy and make the country more modernized. In this case, Japanese investors have been encouraged to make inroads in China thereby bringing in new ideas as far as various aspects and sectors are concerned.

It should be known that Japan was more transformed than China before and this means that it has learned a lot. Japan has been helping China in various ways through good ideas that have been exported to the country (Iriye 1992, p. 28). This is as far as innovations are concerned. Most of these ideas have been shared through investments that Japanese citizens have made in China.

China has had various environmental problems and this where Japan has come up strongly to ensure that the country is more sustainable. Japan has been effective in curbing environmental problems and this has made the country a good example as far as its Asian neighbors are concerned.

Japan has helped China to curb various environmental problems through exchange programs. This has therefore helped China to modernizer its environmental issues and aspects. All in all, Japan has played a big role in the transformation of China as far as the country modernization in environmental issues is concerned. This is a very important aspect that every country needs to be considered modern (Emmott 2008, p. 22).

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It should be known that Japan has helped China to reduce its energy consumption through various initiatives. As much as China has its own initiatives, the country has been sharing ideas with its neighbors. The most notable example is the production of green energy vehicles by Japan. This technology has been replicated in China and helped the country to transform itself in various ways. There have been initiatives to ensure that energy consumption is reduced because of the effects that such emissions have on the environment.

We can not say that such ideas have solely come from Japan but it should be known that the county has been on the forefront to ensure that this technology is adopted (Crossley 2010, p. 41). All in all, Japan has been a major player as far as the reduction in energy consumption is concerned. The most notable beneficiary from these developments has been China because of good relations that the two countries have enjoyed.

We can not say that the two countries will enjoy long term strategic stability and this is a fact that we need to agree. Japan has its own interests that are supposed to be adhered to. The region needs to have sustainable peace for long term sustainability. This is as far as relations between the two countries are concerned.

Public opinion from the two countries is negative about each other but they notably share a lot and this should be strengthened. China is currently enjoying economic might and there have been arguments that it is transforming these developments into military and cultural power (Crossley 2010, p. 62). This issue has raised a lot of suspicion between the two countries yet they share a lot.

Japan has had a good approach when dealing with China and this is commendable. The country has tried to engage China in many fields as much as it can for long term sustainability. This has been aimed at making it a modern nation because a country can not enjoy peace when its neighbor is not doing well.

Japans’ engagement policy has been aimed at giving China various economic and political incentives that can transform it in various ways. By doing this, Japan has always wanted China to be a responsible shareholder in various aspects (Rose 2005, p. 45). Because China has become a responsible shareholder, it has produced good political and economic policies that have played a big role in its transformation to a modern nation.

Such policies have been beneficial to the country’s economic system and that is why China is nowadays a modern country. As much as a country can always have its own policies and direction that it wishes to follow, there is need to borrow ideas and this is where Japan has always come in.

Japan has always come up with good military measures that are aimed at reducing Chinas military threat to the region. This is because the region needs to be peaceful for China to continue being a modern nation (Crossley 2010, p. 36). It is undeniable that a country can not move forward if it is not at peace with its neighbors. This therefore helps to explain the role that Japan has played in the transformation of China as time goes by.

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In numerous occasions, the two countries have always engaged themselves in dialogue to come up with different solutions to their own problems. Most of them have been aimed at coming up with a balance that will resonate well with hard and soft elements. Dialogues between the two countries have been used to bridge the gap that might exist as time goes by thereby improving relations and sharing of ideas.

The regional, global and bilateral frameworks that have been employed by Japan have helped China to move forward and this is good for the two countries. This is because the two countries have a lot that they share and lessons learnt by either of them can be very fruitful (Quansheng 1996, p. 28).

As much as China has replaced Japan as the world second largest economy, it has learned a lot of lessons from the country that have helped it to move forward (Crossley 2010, p. 87). This is as far as economic aspects are concerned. Japan is very important to China in various ways and this is undisputed.

Economic relations have been the centerpiece of the relationship between Japan and China. As earlier noted, Japan has been Chinas’ biggest trading partner since the 1960s. It should be known that lower expectations between the two countries have helped to increase trade relations as time goes by. There has been an argument that Japan helped china to participate in World Health Organization in a broad way and this has seen it benefit a lot (Crossley 2010, p. 65).

Japan has made a lot of tenacious and persistent efforts to guide China into various organizations. This has been made one after the other based on the fact that it is only your neighbor who can guide you well in various issues and aspects. As much as this aspect can be very frustrating, Japan has not shied away from guiding and helping its neighbor.

In a broad perspective, Japan has helped China to play by the rules of various organizations instead of being cautious through withdrawals when it feels that its interest are threatened (Rose 2005, p. 55). This has been done through dialogue and brainstorming because Japan has been a major player in such organizations and therefore its word can be trusted by China.

Chinese culture though one of the most ancient has evolved and somehow modernized in recent years. Most of this influence has come from Japan and this can be looked at from various perspectives. The two countries share various cultural aspects but Japan has a modern culture that has been spread to China as time goes by. For instance some form of dressing has been replicated to China by Japanese designers.

This has been done through the transformation of existing designs to make them modern. Apart from this, various linguistic aspects have also been shared between the two counties as time goes by (Wan 2006, p. 43). In this case, we can unilaterally say that Japan has been instrumental in the modernization of China in various ways.

As much as Chinas’ economy has been growing drastically, its political system has not been changing with the same pace and this is where Japan comes in. Japan has been trying to advocate for more democratic space in the country through various forums and this has piled pressure for a different and positive approach. Japan has a better political system than China and it has always been steadfast in encouraging it to embrace democracy and open up its political space (Emmott 2008, p. 37).

As much as political relations between the two countries have been improving in recent years, Japan is still convinced that China can do more as far as political transformation is concerned. This pressure has helped to modernize the country’s political system though more needs to be done.

The two countries have had a dispute at the East China Sea but China’s society and its party state is changing. Japan has strongly influenced China’s ancient writing system though it was first exported to Japan. This has been done through interactions and intermarriages that have taken place between their people.

It should be known that Japan will continue to influence China and vice versa and this should be capitalized on to enhance their own modernization. For instance, Japans’ investments in China are set to increase in 2010 and this means that the country will gain in a broad way. There have been various bilateral sensitive issues but Japan has been instrumental in shaping China’s chemical industry and weaponry. This issue was initially complicated by an argument that the US was using Japan to spy on China (Wan 2006, p. 51).

It should be known that Japan will continue to play a big role in the transformation of China as a modern nation because the two countries have a lot that can be used by either side. Japan has learned a lot of lessons in its journey to become the second largest economy in the world before being displaced by China (Crossley 2010, p. 73).

These lessons can still be used by China as it attempts to consolidate its economic gains for long term sustainability. The two countries have vowed to improve ties because they know the importance of such relations. As much as the two countries have had serious diplomatic rows, they can still resolve such for their own good. For instance, the issue of the disputed island can still be sorted out because it has recently played out.

As much as Japan has helped China to move forward, the two countries are very independent as far as economic aspects are concerned. The only issue is that they need each other to enhance their economies and this should always be looked at. All along, China has modernized its industry by getting help from Japan and this is good for the two nations.

In this case, there have been a lot of technological transfers that have helped China to modernize its industries. There has been an argument that Japan has helped China to develop a long range missile capacity but this has not been proved well (Emmott 2008, p. 83). Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the two countries interact as time goes by because they are big economies in the world.

It is presumed that relations will continue being positive because by virtue of being the worlds second and third largest economies, they are supposed to interact well (Crossley 2010, p. 74). This is as far as economic, social and political aspects between the two countries are concerned.

Wholesomely, Japan has assisted China to develop its economy through various foreign aids and this will continue as the two countries enhance their relations. It will be interesting to see how the Japan and China relate in the coming years because this will ultimately define their future. This is based on the fact that they are competing economically.

Reference List

Crossley, P., 2010. The Wobbling Pivot: China since 1800. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Emmott, B., 2008. Rivals: How the Power Struggle between China, India and Japan Will Shape Our Next Decade. New York: Oxford Press.

Iriye, A., 1992. China and Japan in the global setting. Harvard: Harvard University Press

Quansheng, Z., 1996. Japanese Policymaking: the Politics behind Politics: Informal Mechanisms & the Making of China Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Rose, C., 2005. Sino-Japanese Relations: Facing the Past, Looking to the Future? New York: Routledge.

Wan, M., 2006. Sino-Japanese Relations: Interaction, Logic, and Transformation. California: Stanford University Press.

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IvyPanda. 2023. "The Role of Japan in the Transformation of Modern China." November 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-role-of-japan-in-the-transformation-of-modern-china/.

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