The fine line Japan must walk between frenemy China and Donald Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda
- Beijing and Tokyo are moving closer, pushed and pulled by the US trade war and Washington’s waning interest in Asia
- But there’s no certainty over the best way to navigate between a long-term rival and a traditional ally
Ties may be warming between Beijing and Tokyo but rapprochement is dividing Japan, with some questioning if it is worth risking upsetting one of the island nation’s key allies: the United States.
The easing in tensions between the two Asian rivals was apparent on Thursday when Japanese leader Shinzo Abe landed in Beijing, the first trip to China by a Japanese prime minister in seven years.
On Friday, Abe will meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, take part in a forum on infrastructure projects and visit Peking University, before having a meeting and attending a dinner with President Xi Jinping.
One Japanese official familiar with China-Japan relations said there were risks but the trip was necessary.
“We need to keep a balance. The US may get suspicious of Japan getting too close to China,” the official said.
The official also questioned whether China’s push to improve ties with Japan was more than short term.
“Now China needs a friend when it is having a trade war with the US. But what would happen when its relations with the US improve?”