9 0 s , ▁China ' s ▁economic ▁re forms ▁have ▁turned ▁the ▁country ▁into ▁a ▁global ▁power . ▁Non eth eless , ▁dist rust ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁Chinese ▁is ▁sometimes ▁attributed ▁ ▁to ▁the ▁back l ash ▁which ▁exists ▁against ▁the ▁historical ▁memory ▁of ▁Sin ic ization ▁which ▁was ▁first ▁purs ued ▁by ▁Imperial ▁China ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁purs ued ▁by ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁China , ▁and ▁the ▁additional ▁back l ash ▁which ▁exists ▁against ▁the ▁modern ▁policies ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁government , ▁both ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁permanent ▁in ▁many ▁countries ▁like ▁India , ▁Korea , ▁Japan ▁and ▁Vietnam . ▁ ▁Regional ▁ant ip ath y ▁ ▁East ▁Asia ▁ ▁Japan ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁S ino - J apan ese ▁War ▁and ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁China ▁and ▁Japan ▁gradually ▁improved . ▁However , ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Japan ▁has ▁seen ▁a ▁grad ual ▁res urg ence ▁of ▁anti - Ch inese ▁sentiment . ▁Many ▁Japanese ▁believe ▁that ▁China ▁is ▁using ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁countries ' ▁check ered ▁history , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Japanese ▁history ▁text book ▁controvers ies , ▁many ▁past ▁war ▁cr imes ▁committed ▁by ▁Japan ' s ▁military , ▁and ▁official ▁vis its ▁to ▁the ▁Y as uk uni ▁S hr ine ▁( in ▁which ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁war ▁crim inals ▁are ▁en sh r ined ), ▁as ▁both ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁card ▁and ▁a ▁tool ▁to ▁make ▁Japan ▁a ▁sc ap