China's recent economic progress coupled with its growing assertiveness in international politics has, in Asia, Europe and the U.S., given rise to some concern and a number of commentaries about the role of China in international politics.
It may be worthwhile to compare present-day China's influence with the impact of the political rise of Japan in the early part of the 20th century as well as with the rapid Japanese economic development in the 1970s and '80s.
On Japan's politico-economic rise before World War II, one could note at least three fundamental differences between Japan's international position before World War II and that of China today.
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