Abstract:
Over the course of the last several weeks, Sino-Japanese relations have taken a downward spiral once again – this time the dispute is over the Pinnacle (Diaoyutai/Senkaku) Islands. This talk will contextualize the current bilateral tensions against the larger backdrop of developments in Sino-Japanese relations and explore the reasons why tensions persist in this set of bilateral relations. One of the most often heard explanations for the existing tensions is the advent of a younger and more nationalistic generation in both China and Japan. Implicit in this line of thinking is the assumption that Chinese and Japanese youths hold opposing views on a host of issues ranging from history to politics. Such an assumption needs to be questioned. This talk presents some findings from a six- month quantitative survey carried out from November 2009 in China, Japan, and Korea as part of a larger project. The empirical data suggests that even though the Chinese and the Japanese (and also Koreans) may perceive themselves to be radically different, there are actually a lot more commonalities than assumed. Extrapolating from this, the talk will conclude with further thinking on what this might mean for the future of Sino-Japanese relations.
About the speaker:
Victor E. Teo is Assistant Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures. He received his PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research interests are primarily related to the field of International Relations in the Asia-Pacific Region, with particular emphasis on Sino-Japanese Relations. |
