China's policy toward Japan has changed

Over 75 percent of Chinese citizens believe that a good relationship with Japan is "important", according to a survey in Monday's China Youth Daily.

The survey of 2,948 people across China follows Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "ice-breaking" visit to China on October 8-9.

About 76.9 percent of respondees believed that a good China-Japan relationship is "very important" or "relatively important", according to the survey, which was sponsored by the newspaper.

"Only 7.1 percent believed it is 'not important' or 'not very important'," the report said.

Meanwhile, the newspaper said about 45.2 percent of the people believed that Abe's China visit has had a "positive impact" on frosty China-Japan ties, 6.5 percentage higher than those who disagreed.

The newspaper also quoted a poll by Japan's Kyodo News Service on October 10 and 11, saying that 83.2 percent of the Japanese people took a "positive" or "fairly positive" view of Abe's recent visit to China and the Republic of Korea.

"The survey results show people's desire for China-Japan friendship," the report said.China economic net

Of course, China is still against PM visiting Yasukuni, but look at how Chinese states the issue.

93.4 percent of Chinese people believe that the Yasukuni Shrine issue must be handled in a proper way in order to maintain a long-term, stable and healthy China-Japan relationship

The issues have to be handled in a proper way. Yes, but all Abe promised was that he keep it secret whether he visit Yasukuni or not. Fundamentally there is no change on Japanese side.

It seems China has changed its policy toward Japan.

Now it seems USA is a bit worried.

Much of the Western media is distracted by reports about territorial disputes and periodic offenses between China and Japan. Many people fail to see the depth of political and economic cohesion already existent between these nations. As America’s economic influence subsides and as it becomes geopolitically isolated, and as the world (especially Asia) begins to revolve more around China, we should expect Japan to distance itself from the U.S. and align more closely with the giant next door.

Added to the growing economic and political factors pushing China and Japan together, these nations are also more aligned culturally and religiously with each other than with the United States. Both share Confucian and Buddhist traditions, and a culture that values hierarchical government, the importance of “saving face” and the “supremacy of the state over society and of society over the individual” (Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations). The fact is, nations just tend to align with other nations of similar heritage, religion and culture.

While Japan and China have many cultural and ideological similarities, few exist with the U.S. Though relations between Japan and America appear rosy, fundamental schisms exist between American and Asian cultures. Huntington identifies another key difference between Asian and American cultures as revealed in past conflicts and subsequent relations: “The Asians … tended to regard the United States as ‘an international nanny, if not bully.’ Deep imperatives within American culture, however, impel the United States to be at least a nanny if not a bully … and as a result American expectations were increasingly at odds with Asian ones” (ibid.). Economics and politics are not enough to hold America and Japan together. Japan’s future does not lie with America!
.trumpet com

Surely Japan has a lot in common with China, but Japan knows what is in the best interest.