Misperception and the Replication of Mistrust: A Theoretical and Empirical Research on the Mechanism of the Replication of Sino-Japanese Mistrust

• Project/Area Number: 26780101
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: International relations
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: ZHANG YUN 新潟大学, 経営戦略本部, 准教授 (70447613)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: 日中関係 / 誤認知 / 国際関係理論 / 3.11災害外交 / 相互不信 / 東日本大震災 / 認知と誤認知 / 災害外交 / 相互不信再生産

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Both China and Japan have showed their intentions and efforts for building mutual trust, but the mutual mistrust has deepened. Why did this seemingly abnormal situation happen?　The representative case is the failure of the 3.11 disaster diplomacy between China and Japan.
A theoretical and empirical nexus approach is employed to answer the aforementioned puzzle. This research firstly introduces the theories of misperception in international relations and presents the theoretical basis of the tragic replication of misperception and mistrust. Then it uses the failure of Sino-Japanese disaster diplomacy with the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake as a case example showing that even the initial gestures of goodwill could be distorted by the biased perceptual lens to produce even more mistrust.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] 日中の誤認知と相互不信の再生産のメカニズム ―日中「三・一一災害外交」の失敗をケースに― (2016)
  • Author(s): 張雲
  • Journal Title: 国際政治 Volume: 第184号 Pages: 1-15
  • NAID: 130005285637
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] Co-constructing East Asian International Order and China-Japan-US Trilateral Relations (2015)
  • Author(s): Yun Zhang
  • Organizer: Beijing Forum 2015
  • Place of Presentation: Peking University
  • Year and Date: 2015-11-07
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Nationalism in Sino-Japanese Relations: Domestic Legitimacy and International Behavior (2015)
  • Author(s): Yun Zhang
  • Organizer: International Conference on Nationalism in Asia and Europe Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore
  • Place of Presentation: Singapore
  • Year and Date: 2015-05-07
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Japanese Intelligentsias’ Perceptions of China’s Rise (2015)
  • Author(s): ＺＨＡＮＧ Ｙｕｎ
  • Organizer: Ｎａｎｊｉｎｇ Ｕｎｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ
  • Place of Presentation: Ｎａｎｊｉｎｇ Ｕｎｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ, China
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-20
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Perception and Misperception in Sino-Japanese Relations from China-Japan-US Trilateral Dynamics (2014)
  • Author(s): ＺＨＡＮＧ Ｙｕｎ
  • Organizer: International Workshop on Mutual Perception and Trust between China and Japan
  • Place of Presentation: Ｎｉｉｇａｔａ Ｕｎｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ, Niigata City
  • Year and Date: 2014-07-26
  • Invited
• [Funded Workshop] International Workshop on Mutual Perception between China and Japan (2015)
  • Place of Presentation: Ｎｉｉｇａｔａ University
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-25