Date Thesis Awarded
7-2013
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
International Relations
Advisor
Eric Han
Committee Members
Tun-jen Cheng
Leisa D. Meyer
Abstract
Symbolized by the Rape of Nanking or the Nanjing Massacre, the history question or Japanese wartime atrocities and Japan's continued failure at apology continues to impact Sino-Japanese relations. Applying feminist theory concepts to examine the formation of nationalism in China and Japan from the early modern period on and of the contemporary power dynamics underlying the interstate relations among China, Japan, and the United States can help to explain why the history question remains relevant in Sino-Japanese relations. Modern nationalism in both China and Japan were founded upon Western incursion and a resulting loss of masculinity of the states as the governments proved incapable at safeguarding the national polities from Western forces. The feminist notion of all politics being personal and of the importance of various interpenetrating levels of influence can help to elucidate the impact of contemporary civil society efforts such as civil lawsuits against Japan and Joint Textbook Writing efforts among China, Japan, and South Korea on Sino-Japanese reconciliation and the future of Sino-Japanese relations.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Wenfan, "The History Question in Sino-Japanese Relations" (2013). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 609.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/609
Creative Commons License
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Comments
Thesis is part of Honors ETD pilot project, 2008-2013. Migrated from Dspace in 2016.