As I am neither a resident of Japan nor Japanese, I am willing to tentatively accept professor Kazuo Ogoura's analysis of the roots of "Japan's antipathy toward China" in his Sept. 23 article. Where I take strong exception is his analysis of the roots of "China's antipathy toward Japan."
The roots of China's antipathy date back at least to Japan's colonization of Korea and Taiwan as well as to its establishment of the puppet Manchukuo regime and ultimately the invasion of China in 1937 during its imperialist period. These rapacious roots are deep and chronic. Sweeping them all under the term "historical events" in one sentence is wrong. That the nature of these roots is taught in China and Korea but not in Japanese schools and colleges may explain why antipathy toward Japan in these countries is endemic.
A simple example illustrates. Chinese people at home and abroad were asked whether China should attack if and when Taiwan declares its independence, even though the attack could lead to a nuclear conflict with the United States and, by proxy, with Japan. Ninety-nine percent answered in the affirmative.
Antipathies are not abstractions; they can lead to mutually assured nuclear destruction. I hope and pray that the Taiwanese government, with or without encouragement from Japan, does not commit a Georgia-like folly. Finally, I would like to challenge Ogoura to write an article about the roots of "Japanese antipathy toward Korea."
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