A very controversial topic in international relations has been: why are Sino-Japanese relations so controversial and how does this affect Japan's reaction to rising China. The relations have been highly controversial due to security, economic and historical issues. These issues shape Japan's foreign policy, and there are many arguments about how Japan is responding. For example, some argue that Japan fears China's growing strength and increasingly assertive foreign policy and as a result Japan has responded by strengthening alliances with the United States and other maritime powers. On the other hand, many also argue that Japan is remilitarizing to defend its interests. I argue that Japan is remilitarizing and forming alliances with countries, such as the United States, that are also concerned about China's growing power. This is done to protect its interests and prevent China from becoming a hegemonic power. The first argument states that Japan has strengthened its alliances with the United States and other maritime powers that are also concerned about China's growing power (Grant 2012, 1). . Alliances are necessary because Japan is currently constrained by a lethargic economy, a huge amount of public debt, and a weak political system (Grant 2012, 1). They have also adopted a new military strategy involving more mobile defense forces. On security, Japan is seen as a declining power and China as a rising challenger. Therefore, given the growing power imbalance between China and Japan, alliances, along with new military strategies, will become extremely important for Japan's security (Grant 2012, 2). On the other hand, many argue that Japan reacted to China's uprising. ..... middle of paper ...... Wiley Central Library. Network. February 2014.Kokobun, Ryosei. "Sino-Japanese Relations: From the '1972 Framework' to the '2006 Framework'" Sino-Japanese Relations: Rivals or Partners in Regional Cooperation? Singapore: World Scientific, 2013. 169-92. Print.Takeuchi, Hiroki. “Sino-Japanese Relations: Power, Interdependence, and Domestic Politics.” Asia-Pacific International Relations 32nd ser. 14.7 (2014): 7-32. Print.Wan, Ming. Sino-Japanese relations: Interaction, logic and transformation. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center, 2006. Print.Weisenthal, Joe. "Ian Bremmer explains what's REALLY going on between China and Japan and the one problem no one's talking about." Company interior. Business Insider, Inc, January 24, 2014. Web. March 28, 2014.Westad, Odd Arne. “In Asia, ill will runs deep.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 6, 2013. Web. February 27. 2014.