GIULIO PUGLIESE THE RESURGENCE OF NATIONALISM IN CHINA AND JAPAN: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Since the end of the Cold War several analysts have considered Asia as relatively prone to instability given the structure of the regional system, which is characterized by growing multi-polarity and shallow political and economic integration. Moreover, the presence of divergent political systems throughout the region in the form of democracies and authoritarian regimes, unsolved territorial claims, competition over energy resources, unresolved historical issues, and rising nationalism has contributed to the view that the region, in Aaron Friedberg’s words, is «ripe for rivalry» 1 . In this context, Sino-Japanese relations are paramount to stability in the region since Japan and China are the most prominent regional actors. The two economies constitute approximately three-quarters of the region’s eco- nomic activity, making them central to the sustainability of the regional economic framework. Moreover, the two countries enjoy high levels of eco- nomic interdependence: China is Japan’s primary trading partner and Japan ranks as China’s third largest trading partner and is also China’s largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI), after Hong Kong 2 . This economic 1 A. Friedberg, «Ripe for Rivalry: Prospects for Peace in a Multipolar Asia», International Security XVIII/3 (winter 1993-94), p. 25. 2 Kato Takatoshi, «The Us-Japan-China Triangle», lecture delivered at Johns Hopkins Uni- versity, SAIS, Washington DC. 14 November 2008.