Fear of Trump Helps Bring Rivals China and Japan Closer Together

When Shinzo Abe took office six years ago, it would’ve been unthinkable for China’s leaders to roll out the red carpet for him. The Japanese prime minister can thank U.S. President Donald Trump for the turnaround.

Abe heads to Beijing this week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a peace-and-friendship treaty between the Asian powerhouses, which have a long history of bad blood due in part to Japan’s colonial invasions of China and atrocities committed during World War II. He’ll meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday as part of the first bilateral visit by a Japanese leader in seven years.

A slow warming of ties between the neighbors has accelerated after both found themselves under attack from Trump on trade. Although Japan’s alliance with the U.S. keeps the nation in lockstep with Washington on most geopolitical issues, Abe has moved to shore up economic ties with China -- its biggest trading partner. Xi, in turn, sees Japan as a way to mitigate the risk of a trade war with the U.S.

Abe is preparing to bring a 500-strong business delegation with him to discuss cooperation in third countries, as pledged during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Japan in May. The two sides will look to revive a currency swap framework dormant since 2013 and possibly progress toward an agreement on loans of giant pandas, according to media reports.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-23/fear-of-trump-helps-bring-rivals-china-and-japan-closer-together?srnd=politics-vp