中共、日本與美國的三方關係,無疑是冷戰後東北亞國際政治中最微妙與複雜的問題,在三邊關係中,美日兩國雖然存在不平等的關係,但是長期的聯合,使得關係變動的可能較少,因此中共如何認知美日的關係,就成為三方關係的主要變項。中共對美日安全關係的認知,實際上受到中共與美日兩國關係的影響,在1970年代以前,由於中共與美日兩國處於相互對抗的兩個陣營,因此中共對美日安全關係採取反對與批判的態度;1970年代至1980年代初,由於中共與日本、美國相繼建立外交關係,同時中共基於反蘇統一戰線的需求,甚至肯定美日安全關係的功能。1980年代中期以後,中共與蘇聯、美國三方關係趨向和解,中共對美日安全關係就採取不主動批判的默認態度。冷戰結束後,美日同盟關係日益強化之際,中共提出「新安全觀」作為冷戰後國家安全關係的準則,但是在深入分析後,新安全觀在國際政治上並無新意,對中共而言,積極倡議與推行多邊機制,則是研究中共外交的新領域。
China, Japan and the United States have been the three dominant actors in Northeast Asia after the end of Cold War. The United States and Japan have enjoyed a stable and cooperative, if not equal, relationship in several decades. China’s relations with and perception of these two countries, however, varies from time to time. While US-Japan security relations have strengthened after the end of Cold War, China accordingly advocates the new security concept as the guidelines for international security relations. However, it is not the concept itself a new one in international relations theory, China’s practice of multilateralism in foreign affairs after the end of Cold War is a new area worth of carefully examination.