Sino -Japanese economic and trade relations have never been so strong

American "Diplomatian" September 22 article, original topic: paradox of Sino -Japanese relations

When the Japanese and foreign relations relations were normalized in 1972, the Japanese people embraced China sincerely. Japan has a general sense of goodwill in China for nearly ten years, reaching the highest point in 1980. The government supported polls showed that 79%of the Japanese had a positive impression of China. September 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Sino -Japanese relations. However, in half a century, Japan's optimism towards China has weakened sharply.

Safety issues have become an important factor, coupled with long -term historical disputes. Especially in recent years, with the strengthening of China's military preparations, Japan and others are increasingly worried that potential military conflicts may spread outside the Taiwan Strait. At present, 81%of Japanese people think that China is a security threat.

However, although the recent situation has been shadowed by Japan -China relations, the economic relations between the two countries are still strong -it can be said to be stronger than ever. In 2020, despite the epidemic, China's share in Japan's trade has reached a record high in terms of total trade and import values, and the highest value of the share (25.8%) of China's share in Japan's imports in Japan in 2016. Also in 2020, China surpassed the United States to become the largest importer of Japanese goods. In the first quarter of 2022, Japanese products imported from China reached a new high.

Despite the potential losses and actual damage caused by the interruption of supply chain, the Japanese corporate community seems to have nothing to do with this reality. Although the number of Japanese companies in China has fallen to the lowest in 10 years, there are still more than 12,000, mainly manufacturers. A survey of "Sankei Shimbun" shows that more than half of the 118 Japanese companies interviewed said that the business should maintain the status quo or continue to develop with China's business, and no company believes that Japan and China need to maintain a distance.

In addition, intriguing is that despite the political sensitive period, the Japanese public is still willing to accept Chinese brands and products. This is the opposite of the tendency of Japanese allies. Taking the Chinese social media platform Tiktok as an example, India has banned it and the United States has tried to do so. However, in Japan, some government agencies have recently announced that they will cooperate with Tiktok in order to spread the "personal number card" in the young people.

In Kyoto, the electric bus manufactured by BYD Corporation in Kyoto began operations. BYD is the potential competitor of Japan's vibrant automotive industry. In May this year, at a venue in Tokyo, Huawei, a multinational telecommunications company, announced the introduction of new equipment for Japanese consumers. In the past few years, large Chinese companies such as Alibaba and the world's second largest LCD TV manufacturer TCL Technology Group have also penetrated into the Japanese market.

In general, China's business activities in Japan are booming. This reminds us that although the political and diplomatic relations between Japan and China have deteriorated, the economic interdependence relationship between the two countries is still strong. At the beginning of this century, people often used "political cold and hot" to describe Japan -China relations. The word is still applicable to the current situation. However, whether this phenomenon can continue in the current tense political climate is to be observed. The intense political climate has shadowed the 50th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the two countries. Whether the economic aspect of this relationship can surpass or relieve political friction will be tested in the near future. (Author Jio Kamata, translated by Qiao Heng) ▲

- END -