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Abe's shrine visit an opportunity for China's diplomatic strategy

By Yan Xuetong: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, January 6, 2014

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[By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

Abe knows full well that his shrine visit will damage Japan's international interests, but was determined to go ahead with it, which shows that mounting domestic support for revising the pacifist constitution and regaining the right of war outweighs overseas anger and condemnation. In other words, Abe may adopt more provocative policies during his administration, leaving no room to improve Sino-Japanese relations. Therefore, China has no reason to be scrupulous on divergences concerning history, territories, and marine interests which have afflicted bilateral ties for a long time.

China can launch a global campaign to educate Japanese and the world about the crimes committed by Japanese militarists during WWII, following the example of the Israeli experience of revealing the Nazi oppression of the Jews. China can teach the world not to forget the brutality of the Japanese militarists by means of exhibitions, media reports, advertisements, speeches, academic seminars and publications. This campaign targeting the international community could mobilize overseas Chinese all over the world. But China should distinguish ordinary Japanese from the Abe administration and the rightists in the campaign and encourage economic cooperation and people-to-people communication between the two countries at the same time.

With the global education campaign, the world will remain alert to the revival of militarism and enhance pressure on the rightist force in Japan. Secondly, the Japanese will realize the political humiliation brought by the words and acts of Abe's administration and then oppose Abe's right-wing policies. Thirdly, the campaign will also enhance the people's awareness of the U.S.-Japan alliance which has fostered the growth of rightist force in Japan and weakened the political basis of U.S. "Rebalancing to Asia" strategy. Fourthly, this campaign would help China to establish an image as a responsible power in maintaining global security, peace and justice. During the campaign, China should adjust its strength and means according to the change in Japanese government's attitude toward the Second World War. Meanwhile, to prevent Japan from weakening its memories of war crimes, China should establish Japan's confession as the political basis of bilateral ties.

Abe's shrine visit has not only helped China take the moral high ground, but has also given China opportunities to cooperate with other countries. For example, China can work with Russia to maintain the international status of WWII victors, explore security cooperation with South Korea and establish a new type of major-country relationship with the United States. Japan's revision of the constitution will enrage China and South Korea and further block economic integration in East Asia. Therefore, China will have more opportunities to discuss economic cooperation with ASEAN countries.

China's diplomatic strategy has changed from passive to aggressive, from avoiding conflicts to taking advantage of conflicts, from waiting for opportunities to creating opportunities and from adapting to the external environment to shaping it. China should take advantage of Abe's shrine visit to remind the world of the Japanese militarists' crimes and establish a solid political basis for the sound progress of Sino-Japanese relations.

Yan Xuetong is the Director of he Institute of International Studies, Tsinghua University.

This article was first published in Chinese and translated by Li Shen.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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