With China’s efforts to assert itself as a regional hegemon stoking fears across Asia, its neighbors seem to be increasingly willing to vacate old grudges in favor of stronger alliances. For example, Japan’s relations with Vietnam and Myanmar, both of which border China, have been warming rapidly in recent years – a trend that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to cultivate.
但有理由保持希望——并且这一希望来自出乎意料的地方。中国充当地区霸权的图谋在亚洲引起了恐慌，其邻国似乎越来越愿意抛弃就恩怨，构建更强大的联盟。比如，日本与中国的邻国越南和缅甸的关系在近几年迅速升温，这是日本首相安倍晋三刻意培养的结果。