The aim of this panel is to understand the role of narratives and perspectives on the Foreign Policies of two of the most important actors in East Asia: People's Republic of China and Japan. On the one hand, the goal of the panel is to explore and analyze the narratives surrounding the rise of China within the Chinese epistemic community of International Relations (IR). We will understand how Chinese IR scholars provide an alternative view from a Chinese perspective about the 'rise' of China that differs from mainstream IR theories. As we will demonstrate, Western IR theories do not provide appropriate theoretical frameworks capable of revealing distinctive Chinese historical phenomena. On the other hand, we will analyze how discourses on the rise of China have been shaping Japanese foreign policy since the end of the cold war. Contrary to what IR theory states, there is an ongoing debate in Japan about the best strategy in dealing with China. According to most specialists, there is an alternative narrative to realism and liberalism that affirms that Japan is following a clear hedging strategy, a middle path in the dilemma between cooperation and competition with China.