Japan's self-made dual personality

While more and more Chinese people are choosing Japan as a tourist destination, they have become increasingly aware that the Japanese government's deeds contradict its welcoming words.

On the one hand, it is common for us to hear that the Japanese government promises to treat historical issues honestly and then on the other hand see it remove from Japanese textbooks wartime atrocities such as the massacre in Nanjing in late 1937 and early 1938. And despite it repeatedly claiming to adhere to a peaceful development path, Japan has been passing new security bills aimed at removing the domestic legal obstacles to its Self-Defense Forces conducting overseas operations.

This ambivalence has also been reflected in Japan's policy toward China. On the one hand, it expresses the wish to improve ties with China, while at the same time choosing to point an accusing finger at Beijing on the South China Sea issue.