THE term “anti-Japan” has been frequently used in Japanese media coverage about China over recent years， to label issues ranging from China’s protests against the Japanese government’s “purchase” of the Diaoyu Islands to condemnation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. Such terminology is misleading and provocative， since it could not be further from truth. People in both countries should be on high alert over this expression， intended as it is to instigate confrontation and conflict.
　　The Chinese government and people are not against Japan or its people， but rather those rightwing forces that purposely sabotage Sino-Japanese relations for political gain. China’s protests over Japan in recent years have focused on such rightwing forces in that country.
　　Territorial and historical issues are highly pertinent to bilateral ties. Yet Japanese lawmakers from time to time make provocative moves in this regard， thereby endangering China’s sovereign rights and offending the Chinese people. How could Japan expect China to sit back and keep silent in such a situation？ “Waves surge due to strong winds， and water is left at peace after tides recede，” so goes the Chinese saying. Japanese leaders should look to their own behavior as to why China responds so strongly to some of their words and deeds.


　　The tension now evident in Sino-Japanese relations is not between the two peoples， but between Japan’s rightwing forces and the Chinese people – or more accurately– the Chinese and Japanese people combined. For right-wing activists， making “China’s anti-Japan sentiments”and “China threat” allegations are steps toward revising the Pacifist Constitution， rebuilding a more active army with greater power， and exercising the right of collective self-defense， empowering Japan with the right of external war. This is a dangerous trend for a country whose government refuses to face history squarely and recognize past wrongs. Japan’s right of external war could not only threaten peace and stability in Asia， but also put its own people in peril.
　　Average Japanese citizens have also fallen victim to the country’s militarism. Japan’s defeat in WWII took a heavy toll on its international status， a consequence any invading nation rightly deserves. But it is everyday people who have borne the brunt of suffering. They have for generations lived under the lingering shadows of that war. In this regard， we understand Japanese people’s desire for their country to return to normality. But， in fact， the “normal country” notion touted by Shinzo Abe does not mesh with what the Japanese public envisions. Moreover， the unresolved question in this issue is， how will Japan reach this goal？