小泉純一郎於2001 年4 月26 日執政，2006 年9 月26 日卸任。任期中，他推動「大國外交」， 促使日本逐漸從「經濟大國」，落實成為「軍事大國」與「政治大國」，並不斷充實「文化大國」的內涵，而積極擴展外交正是小泉政府的核心工作。 日本「大國外交」的首要目標，預期在2005 年成為聯合國常任理事國，以頓挫告終。檢討日本「入常」失策的各項因素，主要可歸結為東亞外交戰略的失衡。這當中最具指標性意義的莫過於，小泉純一郎為履行競選自民黨總裁時的承諾，持續六次參拜靖國神社。 由於中日戰略對峙的思維，靖國神社問題的膠著，成為小泉政府與中國外交互動最大的障礙。此外，長久以來有關教科書審訂、南京大屠殺與慰安婦等歷史問題，都促成中國極力反對日本成為聯合國常任理事國的一員。小泉政府採取中日戰略對峙的政策，導致東亞外交戰略失衡。

Junichiro Koizumi was in office from April 26th 2001 to September 26th 2006. During his tenure, Koizumi advanced the Great Power Foreign Policy to transition Japan from an economic great power to a military and political great power, and to enrich the cultural aspect to make possible a cultural great power. The center task of Koizumi’s cabinet was to proactively develop Japan’s foreign relations. Japan’s primary goal of the Great Power Policy was to become a permanent member in the United Nation’s Security Committee in 2005. However the goal was not reached. When reviewing the various factors contributing to the failure, what stood out was the imbalance of the Eastern Asia strategy. The most symbolical example was Koizumi’s six continual visits to the Yasukuni shrine, a promise made in the presidential election of the Liberal Democracy Party. The primary diplomatic barrier between the Koizumi cabinet and China was Koizumi’s adoption of strategic rival positions between the two countries, and the disagreement in the visits to the Yasukuni shrine. In addition, the historical issues of the textbook revision, Nanjing massacre and military prostitutes all promoted China to strongly oppose Japan’s becoming a permanent member in the United Nation. Koizumi viewed China as a strategic rival, which led to the imbalance of the Eastern Asia strategy.