Japan’s 2024 Diplomatic Bluebook Balances ‘Beneficial’ Ties with China Against CCP Military Threats

Japan’s 2024 Diplomatic Bluebook, recently released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, emphasizes the ministry’s concerns over the increasing military threats from China, while re-introducing the “mutually beneficial” relations with China. International affairs observers have pointed out that the new diplomatic bluebook, Japan’s annual foreign policy report, shows that Japan is attempting to adopt a balancing strategy: on the one hand, it is allied with the United States and other free democracies against the Chinese Communist Party’s military buildup and aggressive foreign policies; on the other hand, Japan also hopes to reduce tensions in Sino-Japanese relations. The report released on April 16 identified China’s military expansion as “a matter of serious concern to Japan and the international community,” which is “unprecedented and represents the greatest strategic challenge to ensuring the peace and security.”...