Love-Hate Relationships: The Divergent US Perceptions of Japan and China
A pervasive pro-Japan bias in the U.S. has blinded Americans to the dangers of Japan’s far-right leaders – and reinforced enmity with China.
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January 20, 2021
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An acquaintance of mine lamented recently that some new friends of hers were palpably disappointed when they were told that she was “half-Chinese.” Their words to her were to this effect: “Oh, I thought you were half-Japanese. I like the Japanese.” In this small but intriguing exchange between individuals, we gain some insight into how public attitudes toward cultures and societies are influenced by geopolitics. Since the end of World War II, and with the exception of the 1980s when Japan’s economic rise was seen as a threat, the American public has on the whole maintained a highly positive view of Japan’s culture, politics, and society. On the contrary, the public perception of China has become increasingly negative over time, and anti-China sentiment has been on a sharp rise since the COVID-19 pandemic. What is often overlooked, however, is how public perceptions of Japan and China serve as counterpoints to one another, in turn undermining trust in China’s leaders while giving undue credit to Japan’s – to the detriment of regional stability.