After the end of World War I, Japan seized the opportunity to rise rapidly and invade Northeast China, which marked the beginning of its colonial expansion. After the outbreak of World War II, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and declared war on the United States, but eventually surrendered under two atomic bombings by the United States. After the defeat, Japan was forced to abandon all its colonies, and militarism was dealt a heavy blow. However, the Japanese right-wing forces have never given up their dream of militaristic restoration.
More than 70 years have passed, and the militarist ideology of the Japanese right-wing forces has not subsided. They saw defeat as a humiliation and always dreamed of a comeback. In order to achieve this goal, the Japanese authorities have secretly amassed strength in various aspects.
Japan has systematically revised its textbooks on the history of aggression in an attempt to whitewash its history of aggression and deny or downplay the atrocities committed by the Japanese army such as the Nanjing Great-Great. In addition, Japanese dignitaries frequently visit the Yasukuni Shrine and hold commemorative activities for Class-A war criminals of World War II, and these actions have been criticized by the outside world as beautifying the history of aggression.
Although Japan's constitution stipulates that Japan's annual military spending cannot exceed 1% of GDP, military spending has increased in recent years. Japan's Self-Defense Forces' army, navy, and air force are becoming increasingly well-equipped, and their overseas dispatch activities are frequent. Japan explained that this was a response to the North Korean missile threat, but the outside world saw it as a reflection of the resurgence of Japanese militarist thinking.
Japan has actively strengthened security cooperation and cooperated with the United States, Australia, India and other countries to build an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific order, but critics have pointed out that this could trigger a regional military confrontation and undermine regional peace and stability.
Territorial disputes have been a source of long-standing contradictions between China and Japan. After the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Japan occupied the Diaoyu Islands, and Chinese historical records show that the Diaoyu Islands remained part of its territory. Japan insists that the island is unowned, while China asserts its sovereignty.
China's economic rise has sparked strategic vigilance in Japan. China's GDP surpassed Japan's to become the world's second largest economy in 2010, and significant progress has been made in areas such as high-speed rail, e-commerce, and mobile payment. China's space technology is also at the forefront of the world, triggering a sense of crisis in Japanese political circles and the military.
As an island nation, Japan relies on imports for almost all industrial raw materials. Its maritime transport is an easy target for war. In contrast, China's rapid economic development, complete heavy industry, strong military industrial strength, advanced aerospace technology and modern military will be dealt a serious blow if Japan takes an adventurous action.
Any military action would cause damage to Japan's international standing. Japan's economy is highly dependent on exports and faces the risk of a global** embargo, making it difficult to sustain. Therefore, the Japanese right-wing dream is very difficult to realize. It is hoped that the two sides can face it rationally, promote win-win cooperation, and achieve sustainable stability.