China and Japan face to face: economic partners, strategic rivals

February 2007 The improvement of political relations between China and Japan has been somewhat sensitive since the visit of the new Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, to Beijing on 8th October 2006. This slight improvement should not, however, mask the seriously deteriorating relations between the two countries that have been on going for several years now, despite the increase in economic exchange. The structural reasons for this antagonism remain; although it is partly explained by the conflict of..