Some authors, for example John Fairbairn, have suggested that in this era the levels in China and in Japan were quite close, though since Japan was strictly closed this can only be argued on comparison of existing game records in very different styles.
Certain authors, including John Fairbairn, suggest that the levels of competition in China and Japan were similar at this time. However, due to Japan's strict isolation, this comparison is limited by examining historical data from different types of games.