Shinzo Abe's hedging strategy against China

On becoming Japan's prime minister for the second time, Shinzo Abe has set himself the task of reviving Japan as a regional power, by repairing years of economic and political stagnation. However, his foreign-policy intentions vis-à-vis China, Japan's largest neighbour, are not yet clear. John Hemmings and Maiko Kuroki argue that Abe's first premiership in 2006-07 provides clues which suggest that he will seek rapprochement with China, while simultaneously developing strong regional ties and fortifying the US-Japan alliance