Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has recently admitted in a television interview that he underestimated the consequences of "nationalizing" the Diaoyu Islands, so he intended to send a special envoy to negotiate with the Chinese side and even personally meet with Chinese leaders on the issue.

The Japanese government first connived at the right-wingers' purchase of the Diaoyu Islands and then "nationalized" them. During the Second World War, someone said that there were no strategists in Japan. Today, some Japanese politicians are still narrow-minded, politically naive and strategically short-sighted. The reasons why Yoshihiko Noda made wrong judgment about the current situation can be summarized into the following aspects:

Firstly, the Japanese side did not see the history clearly. According to the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, the Diaoyu Islands and the affiliated islets have returned to China after the Second World War. The stance of Japan on the Diaoyu Islands issue is a denial of the victory of the World War against Fascism and a challenge of the postwar international order.

Secondly, Japan did not see China clearly. Taking history and reality into consideration, China adheres to the path of peaceful development and advocates the principle of seeking common development while shelving disputes based on the bottom line that China claims sovereignty over Diaoyu Islands. Therefore, it is a serious misjudgment of China’s national willpower to take its restraint as weakness.

Thirdly, it did not see itself clearly. Influenced by the international financial crisis, Japanese economy remains sluggish. Besides, Japan suffered earthquake, tsunami and nuclear leakage in 2011 and its economic recovery heavily depends on Chinese market. Therefore, Japanese politicians should attach importance to national interests and regional security, remain rational and restrained as well as avoid stirring up troubles and inciting antagonism between people of two countries.

Fourthly, it did not see the United States clearly. The United States confuses the Diaoyu Islands issue and it will never sacrifice its own interests for Japan.

The leaders of China and Japan focused on the overall situation and reached an important consensus on the Diaoyu Islands 40 years ago, thus opening the door to normalization of China-Japan relations. However, the current Japanese government ignores the consensus and is kidnapped by domestic right-wing forces, severely damaging the China-Japan relations.

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