Abe should draw lessons from his trip to the US

There is no reason for Abe not to use to dialogue with China to solve the Diaoyu Islands issue peacefully after returning from the US, says an article of the 21st Century Business Herald. Excerpts:

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe responded to the Chinese government's criticism of remarks he made to the Washington Post by saying that the US newspaper misquoted him, causing misunderstanding.

Japan intentionally portrays itself as a weak country under the threat of China, a dangerous and bellicose country. There are no logical connections between the Diaoyu Islands issue and China's patriotism.

Abe continuously attempts to escalate Sino-Japan diplomatic frictions to secure a victory in the Japanese parliamentary election in July. Abe's playing up the Diaoyu Islands dispute before his trip to the US is also to exert pressure on the US to force its ally to take tougher stance to China.

Yet the low-profile reception and meeting between Abe and his US counterpart prove Washington is clear-headed, and it is against its national interests to play into Abe's tune on Japan's islands disputes with China.

Abe's trip to the US should serve as a reminder for the Japanese government that peace and stability of Sino-Japan relations and East Asia are in line with the interests of all parties concerned. Japan should stop its tricks to sow discord between China and the US to realize its own purposes, say, amending its pacifist constitution and getting rid of the restrictions enforced on it after World War II.

Abe should draw lessons from the elder generation of statesmen of Japan, who overcame great difficulties to build and consolidate Sino-Japan relations. History proves wise state leaders should put long-term national interests ahead of their own political interests. In a globalized world, the national interests of one country are based on the peace and stability of the whole region.