'China threat' ugly excuse for Japan's military buildup

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

BEIJING, Oct. 29 -- Political elites in Tokyo are getting increasingly adept at using a distorted image of China to back up their political and military agendas.

Following a series of provocative remarks by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera added fuel to the fire on Tuesday, saying Beijing was "jeopardizing peace" with its "intrusions" near the disputed Diaoyu Islands.

In an interview with a U.S. newspaper last Friday, Abe played the old trick of creating a false enemy, hinting that China might use force to change the region's status quo and break its word on pursuing peaceful development.

On the issue of the Diaoyu Islands, which are an inherent part of Chinese territory, it is Japan that is seeking to upset the regional status quo. Tokyo engaged in the farce of buying the Chinese land from private hands late last year, sparking frictions between Asia's two largest economies.

If there is a country in East Asia that seeks to boost its military power, it is Japan. The rightist Abe government took it further this year with a plan to revise a post-war pacifist constitution. The move, which would allow Japan to develop a full-fledged national army, put its neighbors on high alert due to the bitter memory of Japanese aggression in the Second World War.

Moreover, Japanese government members shamelessly worshipped at the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A war criminals. That is a brutal gesture of defiance of post-war international order.

Tokyo blames regional tensions on China, but it has apparently turned a deaf ear to the repeated messages from China's new leadership that the country will always stick to a peaceful path of development.

What is more worrisome is a thinly veiled attempt by Tokyo to depict China as an enemy in order to justify its military buildup. Once the largest economy in Asia, Japan still cherishes the hope of dominating regional affairs.

That expansionist ambition is what is behind Abe's remarks when he vows to "contribute more to making the world a better place."

To make the world a better place, Tokyo should adopt policies that contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region, instead of fueling tension and readying for war.

For Japan to truly take the lead in regional affairs, it must first face up to history and apologize for its wartime atrocities. A Japan refusing to acknowledge its military invasion in the past cannot convince its neighbors it will not try to repeat history in the future.

The ball is now in Japan's court. It is time for Tokyo to show sincerity and take action, rather than ignite a war of words.

• Japan being more provocative with continuous military muscles flexing
• U.S. future strategy toward E. Asia should be stable triangle relations with China, Japan: U.S. professor
• China urges Japan to stop making excuses for boosting military power
• Sino-Japanese meeting at G20 ruled out
• Japan runs risk of playing with fire
• "China Containment theory" has no market
• Respond calmly to 'China threat theory'
• Selling the friendly dragon
• Western media's "China solo show" theory ill-disposed compliment
• Has China really become "arrogant"?

We Recommend

• Annual airshow kicks off in Houston
• U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group stages military exercises
• Volkswagen showcases new energy vehicles in Beijing
• Different eye catching shows at housing fairs in China
• Special family portraits call attention to left-behind children
  
• Migrant children’s pain and joy in city
• Lingerie show dazzles Wuhan Motor Show 2013
• Running in fun customs at Beijing Int'l Marathon
• Weekly Sports Photos