BEIJING'S VIEW ON THE "CHINESE THREAT" PROBLEM

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of 'Chinese threat', a theory that has - according to many experts – first emerged in Japanese politics. Japan is more than just China's close neighbor in the East Asia, it's one of its biggest rivals in the struggle for political weight and even dominance in the Region. As China grew both economically and politically, Japanese political and military circles – especially right-winged ones – started spreading the 'China threat' fears. The article shows the nature of those fears: how did the theory come to life. It also analyzes different expert opinions and angles – both Chinese and Japanese – in approaching the theory. Overall, the Author tried to grasp the magnitude of the impact the theory has had on Sino-Japanese ties since the very beginning of the 20th century.

Key words: China, threat, Japan, theory, security, military alliance

Ключевые слова: Китай, угроза, Япония, теория, безопасность, военный союз