Cool, warm, soft and sharp: paradigms of cultural exchange in Japan–China relations

Abstract

In the post-war period, relations between Japan and China have veered between cold and warm. For most of this period, due to historical and ideological issues, there has been an underlying tension which has prevented genuinely friendly relations and open cultural exchange between the two states. However, there have been periods of time when more open cultural exchanges and free information flows have occurred, and when genuinely friendly and cooperative relations have seemed possible. This article first proposes a model of cultural exchange based on types of information flow between countries. It then reviews zero-sum and non-zero sum theoretical perspectives on cultural exchange. Using these ideas, the article then uses several paradigms to characterise cultural exchange in Japan–China relations, namely people to people, partnership, reciprocity, soft power and sharp power paradigms, from the post-war era up to current times.