An unfortunate history: Securitization and historical narratives in the Sino-Japanese security paradox

The history of Japan’s invasion of China during World War II has been credited with causing a prolonged deterioration in relations between the two countries. This deterioration coincides with increasing suspicion, leading to cyclical spirals of mutual insecurity. However, history is a contested space. China and Japan both have their own narratives of their shared wartime history and how these different narratives factor in the deteriorating Sino-Japanese relationship to contribute to their mutual insecurity is complex. This thesis explores the intersection between history and security to better understand how historical narratives factor in securitization processes before then contributing to cyclical security paradoxes. This is done through the development of a unique analytical framework. This framework includes securitization theory, which pertains to the process of an issue coming to be perceived as a security threat. The second major theoretical component of the framework is Booth and Wheeler’s security dilemma/paradox concept, which analyses cyclical spirals of insecurity born of suspicion and uncertainty. The third element is drawn from historiography, utilising Carr’s basic facts historiography to provide a transparent discussion of historical narratives and facts in the case studies. This is applied to two occurrences of the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute, a Sino-Japanese territorial dispute in the East China Sea. Doing so reveals both the impact that Sino-Japanese narratives of the war are having and the specific mechanics of how they have this impact.