Apparent goodwill to nations such as Japan and India expected to fade
From left: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. China's "smile diplomacy" carries potential risks and rewards for other countries. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Uichiro Kasai, Reuters and Getty Images)
TOKYO -- When Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest adviser visited Japan more than a decade ago, he secretly whispered this advice to Japanese policymakers.
"In Communist-ruled China, as was once the case in the Soviet Union, its [hard-line] foreign policy could shift suddenly and drastically, so stay alert."
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