当胡的前任江泽民10年前访问日本时，双边关系正在迅速恶化：中国对日本政府拒绝对过去的侵略行为向中国和韩国同样致歉深感不满，而日本则对中国的崛起充满了忧虑，也因此滋长了对立情绪。
When Hu’s predecessor, Jiang Zemin, traveled to Japan ten years ago, bilateral relations were deteriorating: China was unhappy with the Japanese government’s refusal to extend the same apology offered to South Korea for past aggression; Japan was worried about a rising China and thus turning more confrontational.