by Deng Yushan
BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo is slipping farther away from the right track of China-Japan relations as the Japanese government barges ahead Monday with the farce of buying China's Diaoyu Islands.
Deaf to the solemn protests and serious warnings from China, the Japanese government, according to the Kyodo news agency, is to approve the purchase plan at a cabinet meeting in the afternoon.
A recent string of Japanese provocations over Diaoyu Islands, over which China holds indisputable sovereignty, has already thrown bilateral relations into a scalding pot.
Should Tokyo put its stamp on the islands-buying scheme, whether taking advantage of or caving in to domestic rightist sentiment, it would give another stoking to the fire under the pot.
No matter in what form, such a move is both illegal and invalid, and is firmly opposed by China. The Japanese government must bear full responsibility for whatever repercussions may arise.
Just on Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Russia that, as cited by Kyodo, his government intends to handle the issue "from broad viewpoints."
But what his government is slated to do Monday makes a big mockery of what the concept of "broad viewpoints" means to any sober mind. Pushing ahead with a provocative unilateral move serves nothing but to undermine the hard-won China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit.
A strategically-minded Japanese government should, as Chinese President Hu Jintao pointed out to Noda on Sunday, fully recognize the gravity of the current situation and refrain from making wrong decisions.
A strategically-minded Japanese government should free itself from the cumbersome bridle of hot-headed sentiment and arrest the dangerous tendency towards rightist mentality.
A strategically-minded Japanese government should stand up against the temptation of short-sighted ploys and inject a dose of true strategic thinking into its decision-making.
Properly addressing the Diaoyu Islands issue is of particular significance as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan ties.
Maintaining a healthy relationship between the two Asian neighbors accords with the fundamental interests of both nations, and contributes to both regional and global peace and stability.
Thus it is highly advisable that Japan heed Beijing's advice and make responsible moves in concert with China to safeguard the development of their overall relations.
Related:
China Focus: Experts warn Japan against making a wrong move on Diaoyu Islands issue
BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- In response to the Japanese government's official decision to "purchase" China's Diaoyu Islands, experts here warned that the Japanese government should give second thought to their strategy.
Gao Hong, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua on Monday that the Chinese government will take countermeasures if Japan remains on the wrong path and crosses the line of what China can tolerate.
"The consequences will be on Japan," he said.Full story
Japan gov't determines to purchase China's Diaoyu Islands
TOKYO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Japanese government officially decided to purchase part of China's Diaoyu Islands on a ministerial meeting Monday afternoon, reported by local media.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Yuichiro Hata and Finance Minister Azumi Jun attended the meeting, determining to bring three islands under state control, said Kyodo. Full story
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