History plays an important role in shaping the relations between Japan and China. Because Japan�s military expansionism during 1931-1945 has left a deep scar in the memories of the Chinese population, the issue of history remains at the core of Sino-Japanese diplomacy. Since the 1980s, the Chinese government has consistently accused the Japanese government of revising and obscuring Japan�s wartime history, notably that of the Japanese military aggression in China during 1931-1945. China�s reaction against the Japanese government�s whitewashing of history demonstrates the fear that, by rendering Japanese youths oblivious of their nation�s militarist past, Japan may repeat its past. While diplomatic negotiations to improve Sino-Japanese relations have taken place, disagreement over historical interpretation continues to fuel the discontent between the two countries. To better understand the dynamics of the Sino-Japanese relations, the research investigates the origins and nature of the textbook controversy by discussing how the controversy came about and how each government responded to the issue. In addition, the analysis of ultranationalist movement in Japan allows us to understand the public reaction to the controversy as well as its political repercussions. I also explore the Franco-German case of postwar reconciliation and development of preventive institutions. By comparing the postwar experience of China and Japan to that of Europe, we can gain an insight about the creative ways of constructing a common history between historically hostile nations. Finally, the assessment of Japanese leadership since 2000 enables us to evaluate the future development surrounding the problem of history and its impact on bilateral relations.
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