Why did the US succeed in hindering the rise of Japan but fail to stop China?

为什么美国成功地阻止了日本的崛起，却没能阻止中国？

以下是Quora网友的评论：

Richard Kenneth Eng

Japan had no political backbone. China did.

Japanese politics was shaped by the USA after WWII. China always had an independent political system.

Japan’s government was weak and stupid. China’s government was strong and capable, led by extraordinarily intelligent leaders.

China completely outplayed the Americans.

日本没有政治支柱。中国有。

二战后，日本政治受到了美国的影响。中国的政治制度一直很独立。

日本政府既软弱又愚蠢。中国既强大又能干，有非常智慧的领导人。

中国完全超过了美国。

SJ Man

The REAL answer to this question can be answered by the following basic question:

WHY HAS JAPAN HOLD BACK IT’S DEVELOPMENT BUT CHINA IS NOT HOLDING BACK?

The answer is this:

这个问题的真正答案可以通过以下基本问题而获得：

为什么日本阻碍了自己的发展，而中国却没有？

答案是：

Japanese PMs since 1986: Nakasone, Takeshita, Uno, Kaifu, Miyazawa, Hosokawa, etc etc accepted bribes from the State Department to increase the value of Japanese Yen to make Japanese products less competitive; therefore enable American products to dominate the world. Just go and research how these Japanese PMs and their families are living lives in the US mainland after their premierships.

1986年以来的日本首相：中曾根康弘、竹下登、宇野宗佑、海部俊树、宫泽喜一、细川护熙等人都接受了美国国务院的贿赂，推动日元升值，降低日本商品的竞争力，让美国商品称霸全球市场。去调查一下这几位日本首相和他们的家人们吧，看看他们在首相任期结束后在美国大陆过的是什么样的奢靡生活。

On the other hand, Chinese leaders - under the socialist system - cannot be bribed by foreign powers, therefore they will not be in a position to sell out China and the Chinese people for personal gains. As such, the only way for the US to compete with China now is by way of a trade war.

而中国领导人不接受列强的贿赂，也就不会为了个人利益而出卖国家和人民。所以，现在美国和中国展开竞争的唯一途径就是贸易战。

Joel Shih

There are several factors which makes it impossible to contain china's rise:

以下几个因素使得中国的崛起势不可挡：

Territory and population. The former soviet union had vast territory but insufficient population, Japan has population but small territorry. China has both, rich in natrual resources and human labor, the two most imporyant factors for long term development.

Culture and . No argues on democatic or here. Chinese people are hard working, love to study and be creative. China regime makes the people united, not split or internal friction. Only one party in ruling, so US can not break in and split.

领土和人口。前苏联幅员辽阔但人口不足，日本人口众多但领土狭小。中国拥有丰富的自然资源和人口资源，这是中国长期发展的两个最重要的因素。

文化。这里不争论人口问题，中国人勤劳、好学、富有创造力。中国的政府团结群众，不搞分裂和内讧。单一政党，美国无法分裂中国。

Correct development plans. China makes mid-term and long-term plans and fulfill them. Now China has the most complete industries system and also catch up in some high-end sectors. This makes it hard to sanction them, they can be almost self sufficient.

Correct timing and environment. China stays humble when advantage is not at their side. They kept low profile to US and focus on economy development for 40 years.

Financial defense. Learning the lessons of Soviet Union and Japan' financial defeat, China is syrictly conservative in managing financial market. US had not been successful in financial war against China. Plus China now allys some countroes to prooceed de-dollarization.

正确的发展规划。中国制定并实施了中长期规划。现在的中国拥有最完整的产业体系，在一些高端领域也奋起直追。

想要制裁中国十分困难，因为他们基本上可以实现自给自足。

正确的时机和环境。当他们不占据优势时，中国时刻保持谦卑。他们对美国保持低调，40年来一直专注发展经济。

金融防守。中国吸取了苏联和日本的金融失败教训，在管理金融市场方面非常保守。美国在和中国的金融战争中没能成功。此外，中国现在还联合一些国家推动去美元化进程。

In the next decades, China will step into the stage of high quality development, including high end industries to world leading level, green energy as the largest proportion of energy source, high level infrastructure.

US should think how it can benefit from a strong China, instead of containing it.

未来几十年，中国就将进入包括高端产业在内的高质量发展阶段，达到世界领先水平，绿色能源将占据最大比例、完成高水平基础设施建设。

美国应该考虑的是如何从强大的中国身上获益，而不是遏制中国。

Eric Lee

Many good answers here, I will provide my 2 cents as well

US has crushed Japan physically (atomic bomb) and phycological (see the picture below). The Yankees know the Japan inside-out, they know how to handle them without resistance.

Besides, US’ power (politic influence, military and economy) was at it’s peak when Japan’s economy reach the peak around the same time. The plaza accord and tech. war was too powerful for Japan to say “No”.

我看了很多回答很出色的答案，我也说说我自己的意见吧。

美国在身体上(原子弹)和心理上击垮了日本。美国对日本了如指掌，知道可以如何对付日本而不会招致反抗。

此外，美国的实力(政治影响力、军事影响力和经济影响力)也达到了顶峰，日本的经济也几乎在同一时间达到了顶峰。广场协议和科技战的威力太过强大了，日本不敢说不。

Although US is still more powerful than China (even for the next 10–20 years), they never crush the Chinese like they did to Japanese. China dare to say “No”.

Another factor is timing, during China’s high growth period, US was busy fighting terrorist, they missed the opportunity to subdue China.

And lastly, compare to China, Japan is too small to rival US.

虽然美国目前还是比中国更为强大(未来10-20年可能也会继续保持），但他们从未像对待日本那样打压中国人。中国敢于说“不”。

另一个因素是时机，在中国努力发展的高增长时期，美国把精力用在打击恐怖分子上了，错过了压制中国的机会。

最后，和中国相比，日本实在是太小了，无法和美国竞争。

Kate Alwyn

When will the United States cover the sky with one hand and can interfere with the fate of other countries at will? The United States has contained Japan's rise, which is inseparable from Japan's own national situation. So far, Japan can still be said to be a vassal state of the United States. It needs the asylum of the United States. Its economy, trade, and military cannot be separated from the United States, so it can only accept the permanent military base of the United States in Japan.

美国什么时候能只手遮天，随意干涉别国的命运？美国遏制了日本的崛起，这与日本自身的国情密不可分。到目前为止，日本依然可以说是美国的附属国。日本需要美国的庇护。日本的经济、贸易、军事都离不开美国，只能接受美国在日本设立永久军事基地。

The U.S. military is free to use Japan’s land, and Japanese airlines must fly around Tokyo, because it is a space controlled by the U.S. military; the U.S. military invaded Iraq using the Japanese base area. In case of a war between the U.S. and other countries, Japan will The guard must operate under the control and orders of the US military.

This is the content of the "secret agreement" between Nobusuke Kishi and the US, and it is still valid. The United States and all its military bases in Japan continue to threaten Japan, the Japanese government, and the Japanese people to ensure that they do what the United States wants when needed, and Japan remains a vassal state occupied by the US military and the main policy is the US military General officials instructed Japanese bureaucrats to decide, and Japan's national sovereignty exsted in name only.

美国军方可以自由使用日本的领土，日本航空公司必须绕行东京上空，因为东京是由美国军方控制的领空；美军利用日军根据地入侵伊拉克。如果美国和其他国家发生战争，日本必须听从美军的控制和命令。

这是岸信介与美国“秘密协定”的内容，至今仍然有效。美国及其在日本的所有军事基地继续威胁者日本、日本政府和日本人民，让美国可以在需要的时候任意行事，日本的主要政策都是美国军事将领授意日本官僚决定的，日本的国家主权其实已经名存实亡了。

China and Japan have no similarities or comparability except that they belong to Asia. China is an independent country with its own unique development path. Since the founding of New China, China has never been dependent on any country for its development. Therefore, no matter what the United States wants or fantasizes, China has the confidence to refuse.

For its dream of hegemony, the United States is increasingly aggressively trying to suppress China's rise, and it is also putting pressure on its allies. But all tactics, including trade wars, "freedom of navigation" operations, pushing allies to abandon Huawei equipment or the "Belt and Road" initiative, etc., have not worked.

除了同属亚洲之外，中国和日本没有任何相似性或可比性。中国是一个独立自主的国家，有自己独特的发展道路。新中国成立以来，中国的发展从来没有依靠过其他国家。因此，无论美国想要什么、幻想什么，中国都有信心拒绝。

美国为了自己的霸主梦，越来越不加掩饰地压制中国的崛起，还向盟友施加压力。但美国的所有手段，包括贸易战、“航海自由”行动、敦促盟友放弃华为设备或“一带一路”倡议等，都未能奏效。

In fact, the more the United States suppresses China, the more China will stand tall and firm. The United States accused China of setting up a "debt trap", but as a result, more countries joined the "Belt and Road Initiative", forming a more prosperous and stable community of responsibility and destiny.

Domestically, China has also done well, and its GDP grow by 3% in 2022, 12.06 million new urban jobs were created, the surveyed urban unemployment rate dropped to 5.5% at the end of the year, consumer prices rose by 2%, and the total volume of imports and exports increased by 7.7%. The fiscal deficit rate will be controlled at 2.8%; grain output will be 1.37 trillion catties, an increase of 7.4 billion catties. The quality of the ecological environment continued to improve.

事实上，美国越是压制中国，中国就会越昂然、越坚定。美国指责中国设置“债务陷阱”，结果越来越多的国家加入“一带一路”，结成了更加繁荣稳定的责任共同体和命运共同体。

中国的国内发展也做得很好，2022年GDP增长3%，城镇新增就业1206万人，年末城镇失业率降至5.5%，居民消费价格上涨2%，进出口总额增长7.7%，财政赤字率控制在2.8%，粮食总产量1.37万亿斤，比上一年度增产了74亿斤，生态环境质量持续改善。

The United States has not succeeded in the past, and it will not succeed now, and it is even less likely to succeed in the future.

First, history is not on the side of the United States. Allegations of "badness" based on dubious information will lead to disappointment and despair, as the Vietnam and Iraq wars proved.

Second, few countries will sacrifice their own national interests and security to please the United States.

Third, with the deterioration of Sino-US relations, China is more determined to continue to promote its socialist market economy.

美国过去没能成功，现在不会成功，未来更不可能成功。

首先，历史并不站在美国一边。基于可疑信息的“不实”指控只会导致失望和绝望，正如越南和伊拉克战争所证明的那样。

其次，很少有国家会为了取悦美国而牺牲自己的国家利益和国家安全。

第三，随着中美关系的恶化，中国继续推进社会主义市场经济的决心更加坚定。

The actions of the United States to prevent China's rise will only be shooting itself in the foot. In fact, the policies of the United States have not only strengthened China's determination to become stronger, but also aroused the resentment of many allies. The main difference between Biden's China policy and Trump's is that he tries to solicit allies to fight China with the slogan of "de ocracy against autocracy," or simply "good versus evil."

But unfortunately, the whole world, including allies of the United States, may know who is "good" and who is "evil". Ask those countries bombed by the United States, they were bombed for no reason other than disobedience; or ask the minorities in the United States, how some American politicians treat them.

美国阻止中国崛起的行动只会搬起石头砸自己的脚。事实上，美国的政策不仅强化了中国变强的决心，也引发了许多盟友的不满。拜登的对华政策与特朗普政策的主要区别是，拜登试图以”皿煮与专制”或”善与恶”的口号拉拢盟友一起对抗中国。

但不幸的是，整个世界，包括美国的盟友，可能都很清楚谁才是真的“善”，谁才是真的“恶”。问问那些被美国轰炸过的国家吧，他们被轰炸的原因就是不听话；再问问美国的少数族裔吧，美国政客们都是如何对待他们的。

The socialist market economy has proven to be very successful, making China the second largest economy, eradicating extreme poverty, and becoming a military and technological power.

Therefore, China has no reason to compromise with the unreasonable demands of the United States. Submitting to the world order dominated by the United States means that China and other develo countries will always be subject to the West, especially the United States. China will not do this. Whether the United States likes it or not, China has the determination and confidence to become more prosperous and powerful.

事实证明，社 会主义市场经济非常成功，中国已经成为世界第二大经济体，消除了极端贫困，成为军事强国和科技强国。

因此，中国没有理由向美国的无理要求妥协。屈从于美国主导的世界秩序，意味着中国和其他发展中国家将永远受制于西方，尤其是美国。中国不会这么做。不管美方喜不喜欢，中国都有决心和信心来实现繁荣富强。