Japan should stop fooling itself Updated: 2012-09-17 21:34 (chinadaily.com.cn)

The Japanese government says it purchased the Diaoyu Islands to make its "administration" of the islands stable. The government and the right-wing politicians are actually engaged in a duet and using each other.

Shintaro Ishihara sets up the ladder. Then the Japanese government climbs it. They are birds of a feather. All their actions are intended to consolidate Japan's real control over the islands and reinforce the Japanese people's sense of sovereignty over China's Diaoyu Islands.

Even after deciding on buying the islands, the Japanese government is still very vigilant to China's response. The right-wing forces are taking the opportunity to propose to the government increased military input and stir domestic nationalism.

The Japanese government supposes China cannot afford to sacrifice trade ties between the two countries and take concrete action. The truth is that the Chinese government has various kinds of countermeasures to retaliate against any provocations from Japan.

The longer Japan crawls in the wrong direction, the heavier the final cost it will pay.

Japan is actually challenging international order established after the World War II. The only possible solution for Japan now is to come back to talks with China and solve the dispute through dialogue and negotiations.

Translated from People's Daily