Shotgunner51
RETIRED INTL MOD
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2015
- Messages
- 7,165
- Reaction score
- 48
- Country
- Location
TRUE Japan has been Asia's only Giant for almost a cenury now. China has simply risen so fast recently, not like Japan is in decline, since Japan is already a highly developed country, which gives it little room for high/rapid growth, unlike relatively poorer developing countries like China, Brazil etc. As i said several times on here, China is simply playing catch up, and as you agreed/said even though China might be bigger overall/macroscopicaly speaking, Japan still leads China in many other critical high end/core tech sectors, so China still has a way to go to catch up with Japan in these fields.
Japan indeed has a proud history. Its still the only Asian country who has NEVER been conquered/invaded/colonised by a foreign power. Well bar their second world war defeat against the U.S/allies. They defeated several bigger powers as you mentioned and even initially defeated/drove out the mighty U.S from the philippines for over a year before the U.S regrouped and took back the country, they are also the ONLY country(after us obviously) to have ever launched attacked on U.S soil, the only Asian country to have humbled/defeated the Russians etc etc. If anything Japan should be a model for all Asian countries. If Asia was to ever try and match(or even come close) to what Japan has achieved economically/living standards etc then believe me Asia will be even more advanced/developed than the west/U.S
Thats why i always laugh when i see some naive Chinese members here underestimate Japan. That will be their biggest mistake.In fact Japan is the LAST COUNTRY IN ASIA anybody should underestimate, Since they are still the most adavanced/developed major country in Asia even today. I always give credit when due. I always respect Japan. @Nihonjin1051 . Banzai.
Despite Qing Dynasty was bigger than Japan, the economy was basically agrarian, light industrial at best, the GDP was largely composed of tea, silk, luxury porcelain, leisure activities. Meiji Japan was already an advanced and heavily industrialized state, the GDP was power grid, steel, locomotives, ships, machinery. The sharp economic contrast between the two is a key reason behind the defeat of Qing Dynasty against Meiji Japan in 1895. Then Japan went on expansion and defeated other bigger but less advanced militaries (Russia, ROC, British FE forces, etc.) until 1945, 4 months after their only ally Nazi Germany was leveled to debris, and after taken the hit of 2 atomic bombs.
After WWII, Japan quickly resumed its pre-war economic vibrance. At the peak of its time, in 1985 the Plaza Accord changed the course of Japan from GDP-driven (domestic production) to massive overseas economic expansion (oversea production), making Japan the top creditor nation since 1992. At the end of 2013 Japan's net external assets was $3.2 trillion, over 50% more than those held by China, the world's No.2 creditor nation.
While the UNSC P5 are stretching their financial limits and tech/industrial capabilities in building their militaries, Japan easily maintains a super-advanced SDF. Japan is leader of robotized industrial economy (second only to SK in density of deployment), home to powerhouses like Hitachi, Sumitomo, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (e.g. H-II series rockets), JAEA (日本原子力研究開発機構), JAXA (宇宙航空研究開発機構).
China understands very well the gigantic financial and industrial capabilities of Japan, and that of Korea and Taiwan on a lesser scale. China is a continental-sized economy, so while the country is being repaired sector-by-sector, region-by-region, a constructive co-operation with Japan as well as the rest of advanced East Asia is important. Despite geopolitical differences, like the other poster said, China would be pragmatic not burn the functioning bridges unless no other options are left.
Last edited:
