Since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took office in April 2001, his administration has considerably strengthened Japan’s ties with the United States while markedly weakening its relationship with China. In geostrategic terms, the Pacific Ocean has become narrower and the East China Sea much wider. Pundits in both Beijing and Tokyo now label the state of Japan-China relations ‘‘cold politics, hot economy,’’ or what can be called a ‘‘cold peace.’’ For although the Beijing-Tokyo relationship has deteriorated, the countries’ economic and commercial relations are soaring to new heights.

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