Why China is likely to miss Shinzo Abe and his vision as battles loom on many fronts
- Many Chinese consider the late Japanese leader to be a leading anti-China voice, because of his stated affinity for Taiwan and pro-US stance
- Abe’s measured approach and willingness to put historical animosity aside will be missed as bilateral ties look set for greater uncertainty
Outside China, Abe has been credited for taking on a leadership role in the Indo-Pacific amid trenchant US-China sparring.
What made Abe stand out was his vision and ability to help the world understand the need for a collective approach to counter an increasingly authoritarian, inward-looking China, while still advocating diplomatic engagement with it when others, including the US, would hesitate to do so.
It is regrettable that Abe’s nuanced, measured approach on Beijing and his boldness to act – particularly in steering bilateral ties clear of any premature confrontation over the two nations’ controversial history and territorial issues – have not been fully appreciated in China.
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Although the rapprochement was short-lived, just like Abe’s first stint as prime minister, the trip was hailed by China as “a turning point” in fraught bilateral relations.
Abe thereafter made two more trips to China, in 2014 to attend the Apec summit in Beijing and then for the 2016 G20 summit in Hangzhou.
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Abe’s ties with Beijing peaked in 2018 during his second state visit to China, which came at the height of a US-China trade war under former US president Donald Trump.
As China’s ties with the US and other Western powers continue to deteriorate, the important role Abe has played over the years to keep Sino-Japanese relations on track despite mutual hostility and mistrust cannot be overstated.
His willingness and ability to maintain stable relations with China has effectively helped prevent their ties drifting towards the Thucydides trap of confrontation between a rising Beijing and established powers like the US and Japan.