日中関係

As everyone knows, there exist great differences between China and Japan. Japan and China have been neighbours since a few millenia ago and will continue to be so forever. I think that it is sad for both sides to remain stubborn and refuse to acceptviews of the other. Otherwise, it's just going to be a vicious cycle of "today I give you a punch and tomorrow you give me a kick." This vicious cycle is never going to end if we don't open up our minds more. At first, I thought from only the Chinesepoint of view. However, I started to question myself:

1) This is only the Chinese point of view, how will Japanese people feel if I say this?

2) It is very important to be able to THINK from a Japanese point of view. Only by doing that willI be able to understand the Japanese mentality and how Japanese FEEL (not think) about certain remarks or claims.

3) Politics is the art of COMPROMISE. If China wants to maintain good relations with Japan, it will have to compromise withoutselling out the country's interests. Now, how you do that really takes skills and that's why it's called an art.

After talking with many sensible and knowledgeable Japanese people at this message board, I realize that Japanese feel that theinternational community has been unjust to Japan in many respects. For examples, Japan should be given a position on the Security Council of the UN since Japan has been contributing large sums of money every year to the UN; Japan is a country and should beallowed to possess its own national army and not just "self-defense forces"; Japanese of this generation have not committed any killings or wrongs in China or Korea so they should not be made to apologize......
The list can go on forever. And Iunderstand that Japanese people have a lot of grievances which they find nowhere to utter out.

All these matters are very complicated. I don't blame the Japanese of this generation for the past. They are ordinary kids born to ordinary families. They goto school everyday just like I do. They go to universities and eat Japanese food just like I do (I like Japanese food). They have a right to live just like any other kid on the planet. Why should they have to bear the consequence of what theirgrandfathers did? I agree that on an individual basis, they should not be responsible for what their grandfathers did. However, the gesture of the government is a different matter and that's what most people are after. Don't argue with me on this; I'm justtelling a fact.

When I make friends with someone, I don't care about his or her nationality. Moreover, I will definitely not bring up any "controversial issues" during our conversation. It is because I understand that he or she has his or herposition to guard and there are things which cannot be said. However, if a Japanese friend asks me something controversial, I will give him or her an answer from a 3rd person point of view (usually a westerner's point of view) and I'll let him or her judgewhat is right or wrong. Of course nobody wants to bring up controversial things and that is just what I'll do if it happens to be brought up at all. Despite such, there are some Chinese people who like to ask their Japanese friends blunt "history"questions. I think that out of courtesy and friendship, one should refrain from doing so. One should direct these questions to official institutions like the Japanese embassy. I think it is important to distinguish between the government and the people.