---
"title": "Japan’s View of China’s Military Might"
"description": "That's the percentage of Japanese who think that China's growing military power is a bad thing for their country. That concern is shared by large majorities of others among China's neighbors."
"date": "2006-09-22"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Russell Heimlich"
    "job_title": "Former web developer"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2006/09/22/japans-view-of-chinas-military-might/"
---

# Japan’s View of China’s Military Might

Anxiety about the growing strength of China’s military is nearly universal in Japan. That concern is shared with others among China’s neighbors — large majorities in both Russia and India see this as a threatening trend. The Chinese, however, have a very different view: 95% say their rising military might is a good thing. In China, much of the antipathy toward Japan is rooted in history — overwhelmingly, the Chinese believe Japan has yet to atone for its militaristic past. Eight-in-ten Chinese (81%) believe Japan has not apologized sufficiently for its military actions during the 1930s and 1940s. And departing Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial Shinto shrine that memorializes Japan’s war dead, including Class A World War II war criminals, are viewed very negatively in China.[Read More](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/pubs/249/publics-of-asian-powers-hold-negative-views-of-one-another)