Analysis | Xi vs Abe: A tale of two leaders locked in a stand-off
Parallels in their upbringing and, more importantly, economic goals may potentially head off an escalation of conflict after Abe’s polarising war shrine visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe of Japan are locked in a spiralling diplomatic stand-off but their burgeoning rivalry contrasts with striking personal parallels between the two, analysts say.
While they have emerged through very different systems – one a democracy and the other a one-party state – they are both sons of elite politicians, have suffered serious personal or political setbacks and spout dreamy, patriotic visions for the future.
Similarities in outlook underlie their nationalist and economic agendas, and both are seeking to rejuvenate their countries, the world’s second- and third-biggest economies.
“These personality traits and similar historical background, I think they do matter because for both Xi Jinping and Abe, nationalism has been a potent force which they can exploit to consolidate their position,” said Willy Lam, a politics expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Abe and Xi both ignored critical views about certain chapters of their nations’ histories and inserted their own thoughts
Abe’s visit to Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honours several high-level officials executed for war crimes after the second world war, is the latest spark between the countries after Beijing declared an air defence identification zone over islands claimed by both but controlled by Tokyo.