小泉時期全力支援美國小布希總統的全球反恐戰爭，透過強化美日同盟，成功提升日本在美日同盟的功能與角色，朝向正常國家之路邁進。小泉每年參拜靖國神社興起了日本的民族主義，但也造成了中日關係的惡化，進而加深了日本在加入聯合國安理會常任理事國上的難度，也成為中國大規模反日運動的導火線。在中日關係上，從二戰後就一直存在著歷史上的仇恨問題，以及地緣政治因素，中日兩國在領土紛爭及資源分配等政治經濟的議題上，始終有著既合作又競爭的複雜關係。小泉時期因為911反恐浪潮強化了追隨美國路線，使得美日間友好關係展現了前所未有的高潮，同時也使中日關係產生了前所未有的「政冷經熱」的詭異現象。 本文認為，小泉的追隨美國路線的外交政策或是在推動正常國家政策上，必然會對造成中日關係上的影響，但是在推動正常國家政策上中國的支持又不可或缺，進而日本需要調整對中政策才能達成目標。小泉時期的追隨美國路線，係以什麼基準考量推動對中政策？其對中政策又如何去影響中日關係？中日關係的變化是否又會對日本的對中政策有所改變？值得我們深加研究。 / During the Koizumi administration, Japan's normalized country policies strongly supported George W. Bush's Global War on Terror to increase its role in the U.S.-Japan alliance. In addition, Koizumi also made the formal visit to the Yasukuni Shrine every year and raised Japanese nationalism. Together, these acts have contributed to the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations, deepened the difficulty of Japan's accession to the United Nations Security Council permanent members, and become the main cause of China's large-scale anti-Japanese movement. Since World War II, Sino-Japanese relations have been characterized by historical hatred and geopolitical factors. In territorial disputes, resource allocation, and other political and economic issues, China and Japan always have a complex relationship with both cooperation and competition. During the Koizumi period, Japan's pro-American policy was strengthened due to the wave of anti-terrorism following 911, which lead to an unprecedented climax in U.S.-Japan friendship. Meanwhile, Sino-Japanese relations experienced an unprecedented and strong phenomenon of "Cold Politics-Hot Economics." Koizumi's pro-American foreign policy or Normalization policy has significantly influenced Sino-Japanese relations. To promote normalization, however, China's support is also indispensable to Japan. Thus, Japan needs to adjust its policy to achieve its goals. This research explores the basis through which the Koizumi administration evaluate its China policy under a pro-American foreign policy guideline. How Japan's China policy influences Sino-Japanese relations and whether the change in Sino-Japanese relations will then change Japan's China policy are also worth our further discussions.

This thesis examines the deep bilateral tensions surrounding the East China Sea (ECS) disagreements between Japan and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the period from August 19th 2003 to June 18th 2008 from an actor-centred constructivist liberal viewpoint. The East China Sea disputes could be described as a conflicting difference of opinion over a) the demarcation of maritime territory and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in which potentially significant energy deposits exist and b) the ownership of the strategically important and historically sensitive Pinnacle (Senkaku/Diaoyu) Islands. This research addresses the question of why, given the fact that China and Japan have a strong interest in co-operation and stable relations with each other, small incidents in the ECS blow up into larger problems, cause approaches to the East China Sea to wax and wane, and move the relationship in a direction that goes against preferred national objectives? In attempting to unravel this puzzle, this work argues that domestic politics and popular negative sentiment have been the major issues that have greatly amplified and politicised the ECS problems and have significantly affected positive progress in negotiations aimed at managing and stabilising these disputes. By examining these, the thesis addresses the question of why China and Japan have been so constrained in their attempts to find a workable bilateral agreement over disputed energy resources and demarcation in the East China Sea. It also indirectly deals with the question of why the conflicting legal complexities surrounding these disagreements contributed to both states so fervently maintaining and defending their claims.