(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in Japan and China hold differing views on bilateral relations, according to a poll by Yomiuri Shimbun and Oriental Outlook Weekly. 62 per cent of Japanese respondents think ties with China have evolved favourably since their diplomatic normalization in 1972, but only 43 per cent of Chinese respondents concur.

China and Japan fought the largest Asian conflict of the 20th century, before and during World War II. Japan’s imperial power surrendered in 1945.

In 1972, a joint statement by the governments of Japan and the People’s Republic of China ended eight years of strained relations between the two nations and restored diplomatic ties. Since then, the association has been mostly built on bilateral trade, and some political frictions remain.

Earlier this month, Yasuo Fukuda, a 71-year-old moderate who favours closer ties with Asia, was elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and officially sworn in as Japan’s prime minister, substituting Shinzo Abe.

During his campaign, Fukuda advocated for better relations with China. On Sept. 17, he declared: "China is making efforts toward a free economy, so if we say they must change their system completely, that would seem to be rejecting them." Fukuda also mentioned China’s military might and the need for the neighbouring country to be more transparent about it, saying, "China has a responsibility to explain (...) and obtain understanding."

China and South Korea usually condemn the visits of Japanese prime ministers to the Yasukuni Shrine, saying they amount to an official endorsement of Japan’s aggression during World War II. The site commemorates Japan’s 2.4 million war veterans—including 14 war criminals convicted by a 1948 Allied tribunal—and has been visited by three sitting heads of government since the 1980s.

Polling Data

How do you evaluate the bilateral ties between Japan and China since their diplomatic normalization in 1972?

Japanese respondents

Chinese respondents

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun / Oriental Outlook Weekly
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,787 Japanese adults, conducted on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9, 2007. Online interviews with 1,083 Chinese adults in 21 provinces and four autonomous districts, conducted from Sept. 2 to Sept. 8, 2007. No margin of error was provided.

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