Contested Memories in Chinese and Japanese Foreign Policy

As main East Asian nations have never achieved a common memory of their pasts, in particular, the events of the Second World War and Sino-Japanese War, this book locates the issue of memory within International Relations theory, exploring the theoretical and practical link between the construction of a country’s identity and the formation and contestation of its historical memory and foreign policy. The book provides an innovative theoretical framework; draws connections between the role of memory and foreign policy; Uses the interpretative theory of international relations; Gives comparative perspective using the cases of China and Japan; Presents in-depth analysis of the construction and contestation of national memory in China and Japan.