本文以近年美、日、中之間的角力檢驗戰略三角理論，試圖補充理論原有假說，使其更適用於後冷戰時期的國際關係。作者將雙邊關係中的國內政治因素，諸如歷史問題、領土問題、價值觀差異、政治體制等議題放入討論，以研析美、日、中三角關係中的雙邊關係近況，以及日本為主的各國因國內政治因素而放棄尋求羅曼蒂克三角中樞紐位置的情況。研究結果顯示，美中關係及日中關係在理念層次各自受到價值觀差異及民族主義情緒所限制，一直呈現「負面／對稱」情況，阻礙其改善關係。尤其，日本在改善日中關係上，在國內政治上受日相安倍的歷史詮釋及厭中輿論限制，使其難以追求樞紐位置。

With the power struggle between the U.S., Japan, and China, this paper is aimed at verifying the strategic triangle theory and trying to present some additional hypotheses to the theory itself so that it can be more applicable to international relations in the post-Cold War era. The authors try to include internal political factors in bilateral relations, such as issues of history, territory, value and political difference, into their discussion, and try to analyze recent bilateral relations in the triangle of the U.S., Japan, and China, and try to explain why Japan, with its internal political issues, stops acting as the pivot in the romantic triangle. The study shows that China-American relations and China-Japanese relations are each restricted by a difference of values and by nationalist sentiment. Thus, both bilateral relations are “negative” in the ideational dimension, which impedes any effort at improving relations. Moreover, internal factors, such as Prime Minister Abe’s interpretation of h istory and the public’s negative attitude toward China, hinder Japan from pursuing the pivot position.