Japan's Cold War Policy and China: Two Perceptions of Order, 1960-1972

During the period 1960-1972, particularly in East Asia, Cold War international politics saw significant change from a bipolar structure, centring on the United States and Soviet Union, to a more complicated situation. After the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Washington and Moscow accelerated the détente process, leading China to perceive a "collusion" of the two superpowers. Publically attacking its former ally while continuing to fight against the US, China rose as a symbol of multipolarization in international politics during the 1960s. Focusing on Japan’s policy towards China, Kanda examines what sort of perceptions of the international order Japanese leaders had and how they reacted to this changing international environment.

This books expands beyond the traditional Euro-centric view of the Cold War, emphasizing the significant role Japan played in Asia. It also provides insight into the foreign policy patterns of post-World War 2 Japanese diplomacy particularly in relation to China and the Soviet Union. It’s historical is based on thorough analysis of archival records from Japan, China, Taiwan, the US, the UK, Australia and the UN, as well as published diplomatic documents from France and Germany, and personal papers, diaries and memoirs of those involved.

Yutaka Kanda is Associate Professor in the faculty of Law at Niigata University, Japan