The trajectory of Sino-Japanese relations over the last two decades has left many wondering whether there were any strategic issues of importance that Beijing and Tokyo could actually agree upon. The Korean peninsula, strategically nestled between China, Japan and Russia, has traditionally been seen as a sphere of influence for the Great Powers. Avoiding all-out conflict and ensuring a nuclear-free Korean Peninsular are certainly strategic goals that both China and Japan share; yet, despite alternating between political pressure and diplomatic efforts, Japan and China have found it extremely difficult to guide the tone and direction of politics in intra-Korea affairs. Both South and North Korea have been extremely adept at fending off any perceived attempts to influence their domestic and foreign policies. Pyongyang and Seoul have shown remarkable political gumption and diplomatic skill, not only resisting Great Power influence, but even managing to advance their political agendas in this very tempestuous neighborhood. As a result, both South and North Korea punch above their strategic weight in international affairs. This collection of essays addresses different dimensions of the interaction between the Koreas, China and Japan in the 21st Century, and makes a valuable contribution to studies of these regional actors' positions in the International Relations of Asia-Pacific during the era since the end of the Korean War.
About the Author: Victor Teo is Assistant Professor with special reference to International Relations of the Asia-Pacific at the Faculty of Arts of University of Hong Kong, where he also convenes the HKU symposium series on Sino-Japanese Relations. From 2004 to 2009, he was the Editor-in-Chief of Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, published by Wiley-Blackwell. Dr. Teo was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2004, and received his PhD from the International Relations Department of the London School of Economics in 2007. His research interests lie mainly in the broad field of International Relations of the Asia-Pacific. He is also author and co-editor of three books: Sino-Japanese Relations (2013); Southeast Asia between China and Japan (2012) and Reconceptualising the Divide (2010).Geun Lee is Professor of International Relations at the Graduate School of International Studies, and Director of the Institute of International Affairs (IIA), Seoul National University. He is the Editor of Journal of International and Area Studies. His recent English publications include Economic Interdependence, Identity Change, and Issue-oriented Balancing in Northeast Asia in The Future of US-Korea-Japan Relations (2004), The Rise of China and Korea's China Policy in The Rise of China and a Changing East Asian Order (2004), and Environment Security in East Asia: The Regional Environmental Security Complex Approach in Asian Perspective 26, No. 2 (2002).