由於中國國力快速成長，「中國威脅論」從20世紀末開始成為重要議題，不但成為全球學界爭論的焦點，甚至影響中國之外交政策。本文討論戰後日本學界、輿論界的中國威脅論。日本在三方面與台灣有較高的相似性：與中國有地緣相鄰關係、而又具有文化相似性、以及民主政治制度的社會。本研究整理戰後日本中國威脅論的系譜研究指出：日本中國威脅論有著獨特的面貌與思考邏輯，前期是以美國為軸心，後期則直接面對中國。

Due to rapid growth of China’s national power, “China Threat” has become an important issue since late 20th Century. It involves not only academic debates over power issue, but also China’s diplomatic policy. This article, by examining academic and public opinions, discusses discourse of “China Threat” in the post-World War II Japan. This essay argues that the “China Threat” discourse in Japan had a unique development: in earlier stage it followed whatever discourse raised by the US in the context of the Cold
War system, but in later stage Japan’s discourse originated from its direct
engagement with China.