Imagine you are the Prime Minister of Japan. China, claiming it wishes to promote East Asian unity and economic growth, offers terms of a trade agreement that would lead to a massive increase in trade between your nation and China. The terms would be a boon to the Japanese economy, but even more beneficial to China.
Additionally, China has been building both its nuclear arsenal and its conventional missile arsenal, with ever more units placed on its eastern and northern borders, allegedly to protect itself from growing Russian and North Korean threats.
| Reject the offer | Reject the offer and build up your conventional arsenal. China is a growing power, and accepting terms that grant China gains relative to your state is unwise. Additionally, while China's growing arsenal may be focused elsewhere, it nonetheless constitutes a threat for which you must be prepared. |
| Accept the offer | While China may gain more, the economic gains will still benefit Japan and increase the prosperity of your people. Use the increased negotiating power to request that China freeze its nuclear growth and remove conventional missile capabilities from the Eastern border. Additionally, attempt over time to openly negotiate more equal trade terms. |
| Accept the offer | Ignore China's growing arsenal. International norms forbid use of nuclear weapons and unprovoked military attacks, so China will not likely engage in either. The trade agreement will benefit Japan domestically and cause no real international damage. |
| Accept the offer | The military buildup is irrelevant. This is a chance to build your economy and enhance capitalism throughout Japan. Additionally, increasing international business with China will provide opportunities for economic growth for years to come. |