JAPAN-CHINA REALITIES

"The first scenario is a battle over energy sources. It assumes that if China reinforces its procurement of energy without taking cost-efficiency into consideration, the world will be plunged into a situation in which each country competes for oil by ignoring international market mechanisms.

As a result, political tension between the two countries over resources in the East China Sea will mount.

The second scenario assumes the isolation of Japan. If China succeeds in concluding free trade agreements with Southeast Asian countries, their reliance on China will increase, leading to the isolation of Japan.

Both scenarios portray shocking futures for Japan."


From China Gorging and Japan-China Resource and Energy Conflicts

- originally published in the Yomiuri Shimbun