Despite recent statistics, China may not ever dominate Japan in the way many alarmists fear, but the balance of power between the two countries will undoubtedly continue to shift in the near future. The readjustment in relations, though, may occur in unexpected ways that are less obvious than government policy statements.

In fact, politics may be far behind other realms. Recent events show that Japan and China are slowly but surely nudging themselves together in many areas where the impact may be more substantial than any negotiation between government leaders. Quiet, human diplomacy may run the deepest.

Around the world, China has started funding the Confucian Institute, a nonprofit public learning center promoting Chinese-language and culture studies. Japan was one of the first to help establish several institutes hosted at Japanese universities. These Institutes offer classes that are becoming almost as popular as English in Japan. The number of Japanese institutions signing pacts with Chinese universities for exchanges of all sorts has surged in the past several years. These educational exchanges will build long-term relationships that benefit both countries.