China will never yield on territory and sovereignty

The Japanese government confirmed the "nationalization" policy of the Diaoyu Islands and the two subsidiary islands, decided to spend 2.05 billion Yen (around 166 million yuan, or 26.1 million USD) from its reserve fund to "purchase the islands", and subsequently signed the "island-purchasing" contract with the so-called "land owners". In this regard, Major General Luo Yuan, deputy director of the World Military Research Department of the Academy of Military Sciences (AMS) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), makes the following comments:

Openly making illegal trading of China's sacred territory unjustly seized by Japan is a dangerous step that the Japanese government has taken down the wrong path that will endanger the overall situation of the China-Japan relationship. The Japanese government's attempt to strengthen its illegitimate position via the so-called "nationalization" is doomed to fail. It is absolutely unacceptable to the Chinese government and the Chinese people, who will never yield a bit on the issues of sovereignty and territory.

The Japanese government must not misjudge the situation. The China today is totally different from the past. It is neither the China during the Sino-Japanese War in 1894, nor the one during the Japanese invasion in 1937. Those times of seizing Chinese territory solely through a treaty have long passed and will not return again. China is in resolute objection against Japan's illegal "purchase of the islands", and will take all necessary measures to safeguard China's territory and sovereignty. If Japan insists on taking its own way, the serious consequences caused by such actions will be borne by Japan itself.

The Japanese government should not place its expectations on its so-called "marine and aero superiority". Presently, China has accomplished such development in national defense strength that no one dares to underestimate. If Japanese politicians don't understand military affairs, they can ask their own veterans. They will tell you that be it in the past, the present or the future, waging war will only incur miserable disasters on Japan.

The Japanese government should not anchor its hopes on the "U.S.-Japan Security Treaty", which can serve at best as a mere "whetstone" on which the Chinese military will convert pressure into power. On the other hand, Japanese people should really think carefully about when the Uncle Sam can be trusted, and when the U.S. has ever truly abandoned its own interests for others?

The Japanese government should never expect the Chinese government to give in. The Chinese government has repeatedly expressed its hope that Japan would work with China to keep up the overall development of China-Japan relationship. However, this kind of efforts must be established on the basis of mutual respect. China cannot take on this responsibility unilaterally, and definitely will not harm its own security and sovereignty in exchange for peace.

The essence of the Sino-Japanese dispute over the Diaoyu Islands is more than the mere ownership of the territory. The Diaoyu Islands were seized by Japan during its aggression against China in the Sino-Japanese War. After its defeat in World War II, Japan was forced to give up all the land it had previously seized by force, and the Diaoyu Islands were supposed naturally to be returned to China. Therefore, this territorial dispute is directly concerned not only with the pathos in the cruel ravages and sufferings that Japan inflicted on China and other Asian countries in the World War II, but also with whether Japan agrees to accept the outcome of unconditional surrender in World War II. It involves the issue of defending the victorious fruits of World War II.

If we allow the vicious expansion of Japan's right-wing force to deny the sense of war guilt that it deserves and allow Japan to simply "nationalize" the territory that belongs to other countries, the evil of Japan's militarism is likely to be revived in the future, posing a serious threat to the regional and world peace. The international community exercises a high degree of vigilance in this regard. The Chinese people made a significant contribution in the World War II and paid a huge sacrifice for it. We will not let the blood of the martyrs shed in vain.

By Luo Yuan (deputy director of the World Military Research Department of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese PLA and member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference)