Japans warns West against lifting China arms embargo

[ThatDamnGood]

Japan did apologise. When first contact between Mao and Japanese diplomats were made, an apology for WWII was made and Mao said the effect, no problem, without you I couldn't forge a modern Chinese identity.
Japan has made numerous formal apologies. But the trouble is, then you get someone like Koizumi and who is widely popular and he goes visit Yasukuni repeated, creating the lack of sincerity image. And the Japanese public by and large dun seem to be aware that this is a problem. Or textbook issues. There is sizeable Japanese minority who are working on such issues but the power elite, political and bureaucrat come from the old war families so progress is very slow.

There are many fallacies to your argument. Some German criminals got away, yes, as some criminals always get away, but the vast majority were punished. Building weapons, for whomever, is not a crime, but using them the way the Nazis and the Japanese did is.

What exactly should the Japanese do? Fully recognize and apolgoize for their crimes. I don't expect them to pay reparations or try the war criminals who are still alive, but I do expect them to at least recognize what they've done and do so at the extent that Germany has done.

And for the record, the amount the Japanese suffered isn't nearly as brutal as years of occupation, but that's not really the point. Making them suffer just as much as the Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Philipinos, etc. did will only perpetuate the cycle of violence. To continue your biblical theme, all the Japanese have to do is to confess their sins.

Even God doesn't forgive those who don't confess and repent, why should we?

 

[ThatDamnGood]

I hope that China play this kind of thing really cool, especially in the press, the politicians are using the bogey of a rising China as a threat, I hope China will appeal to the business and normal Japanese people and try to develop a wedge in the perceptions the Japanese government offers and the experiences of ordinary Japanese with Chinese society - I hope China do not just give away this "territory" if you will, to Japanese politicians who use the sentiment of people to divide people.

The world thinks that China has no soft power, these pinpricks against China offer the opportunity for China to refine it's soft power and how it can express this power persuasively, without seeming overbearing -- play this with soft subtle skill, make it a learning exercise.

Its not really solvable as China is eating up Japan's "bento" and Japan can't do anything about it. For them, there is only decline and trying to preserve the gains of their zenith. Because of their debt is largely internally owned, they will not suffer a repayment issue but they will still be face with difficulties in raising future financing once the money is tapped out locally and there is the issue of opportunity cost, the cost of servicing the debt, the deflationary effect, etc.