Containment without isolation: Tokyo-Beijing political relations during the Cold War.

Despite the vast research existing on Japan-China diplomatic rapprochement, less has been investigated by taking into account the interaction between the two actors within the framework of intervening variables that influenced their historical path. The stages that have marked the development of Japan-China relations should be, indeed, included and interpreted in the broader context of the Cold War. This paper aims at exploring how the differences between the Western and Eastern blocs, as well as the structure of the international system, have influenced the evolution of their diplomatic relations. Methodologically, the analysis focused on an interdisciplinary perspective which draws on diplomatic history, as well as on IR stances. Theoretically, Japan-China rapprochement has been considered as resulting from the international system’s structure, as well as from the pressure exercised by Washington on Tokyo’s foreign policy. This approach adds nuance to our understanding of how political interaction was hampered over decades by a series of external variables and contributing factors.