Regionalization has become the trend of development of world economy. When other parts of the world are sharing the fruits of regional integration, the development of integration in East Asia is very slow. China and Japan are two main actors whose economies account for the majority of the whole East Asia. Both China and Japan are seeking to be the leader of East Asian development. The rise of China is already a matter of fact and has brought the systemic changes in the world system. In comparison, Japan’s power is declining. Besides, due to their special relations formed on the basis of long history, these two states seem to regard each other as potential adversary. Both of them feel insecure in the region and the relations between both states can be characterized as power relations. Although economic interdependence is deepening, politically they are two rivalries.
This paper argues that the intense relations of them have very negative effects on the integration process of East Asia due to the existence of security dilemma in the area. It aims to explain how such bilateral relations affect the East Asian Integration.