This book systematically explores the complex dynamics that shape contemporary Japanese-Chinese relations, and in particular, analyses the so-called 'revival' of nationalism in post-Cold War Japan and its impact on the atmosphere of the bilateral relationship. Further, by adopting a neoclassical realist model of state behaviour and preferences, Lai Yew Meng examines two highly visible bilateral case studies to explore whether nationalism really matters; when, and under what circumstances nationalism becomes most salient; and the extent to which the emotional and/or instrumental dimensions of nationalism manifest most profoundly in Japanese state-elites' policy decision-making.

LAI Yew Meng is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning (CPKLL), Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Introduction 1. Interpreting nationalism in Japanese-Chinese relations: contending approaches and analytical frameworks 2. The trends, development, and dynamics of Japanese-Chinese relations 3. Theories of nationalism and its manifestations in Japan 4. Nationalism, Japan's China policy-making, and Japanese-Chinese relations 5. Case Study I: The Yasukuni Shrine dispute 6. Case Study II: The East China Sea dispute 7. Conclusion