While China’s entry into Latin America continues to gain international attention, a push by Japan to increase its influence in the region is receiving far less coverage. As Eric Farnsworth explains, Japan has maintained long-term interests in the region that it is only now seeking to strengthen.

What does the release of Japan’s 2014 Defense White Paper say about the future of Sino-US-Japanese trilateral relations? Stephen Harner warns that Abe’s vision, as laid out in the White Paper, is not a path towards stability in the Asia-Pacific.

No matter how hard Japan tries to dress up the war as a valiant battle against colonial powers the truth of its aggression will not be denied, writes Cai Hong.

Japan and the United States are competing for a dominant role in the Asia-Pacific, as the negotiations over the TPP ad the new Japan-US defense guidelines inflame tensions in the bilateral relationship, writes Liu Junhong.

In the wake of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue, Ted Galen Carpenter assess the speech and subsequently delineates three measures that are critical to Shinzo Abe’s new policy declaration.

Bilateral relations between China and Japan have grown increasingly dangerous as tensions rise over the disputed Diaoyu Islands and the Yasukuni Shrine. The two countries must restore trust and consider the long-term political, economic and environmental consequences of their actions.

As the Abe administration aims to build up Japan’s military, Jin Ying urges the public to pay attention to the changes and be wary of the consequences if Japan continues this rapid militarization.

In light of recent tension in the Asia Pacific, Colin Moreshead argues that the United States should bring Japan, South Korea and China all to the table for common-ground initiatives, like fighting climate change or promoting education.

Sino-Japanese relations have been strained due to confrontations regarding the Diaoyu Islands and state visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders. In order to mitigate these tensions, it is imperative that the Chinese government adjusts its official policies in order to shift the international perception of Japan in their favor.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the political support of right wing conservative forces, is seeking to amend Article 9 of the Constitution, which stipulates that Japan is no longer able to maintain a standing army, navy and air force, and forfeits all rights to belligerency.