Japan shouldn't underestimate severity of Diaoyu Islands issue

The Japanese government has gone further on the Diaoyu Islands issue with a decision to "purchase" part of the islands. The move is extremely dangerous, and Japan has to fully understand the severity of its wrongdoing.

Ridiculously, the Japanese government said that bringing the islands under state control will help to preserve regional stability of the Diaoyu Islands, despite repeated solemn representations from China.

Although China always pursues friendship with neighboring countries and advocates dialogue to resolve disputes, it should not be misinterpreted as the country's "weakness" in foreign relations. In fact, any test of China's bottom line will bear the consequences that Japan cannot afford.

Japan's move has severely infringed China's territorial integrity, and as the PLA Daily, the flagship newspaper of China's armed forces, said on Tuesday, it was "the most serious challenge over China's sovereignty after the World War II."

Therefore, China has shown an unprecedentedly strong attitude on the issue. The Foreign Ministry issued a strongly-worded statement Monday afternoon, saying that "the era of the Chinese people's humiliation has passed, not to return again."

The statement came with a clear stance from China's top leaders. President Hu Jintao said China firmly opposes Japan's moves to purchase the islands during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Sunday, and Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday that China will "absolutely make no concession" on issues concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Wu Bangguo, the country's top legislator, also said when meeting with Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Monday that the determination of the Chinese government and people on safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity is unswerving.

Anger is also smoldering among the general public in China, with anti-Japanese demonstrations taking place Tuesday in several cities including Beijing and Guangzhou.

But more importantly, the Chinese government on Monday announced the base points and baselines of the territorial waters of Diaoyu Islands, in accordance with the Law of the People's Republic of China on Its Territorial Seas and Adjacent Zones.

Late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the 1970's and 1980's put forward the guideline for solving territorial issues with neighboring countries, which is "laying aside disputes and engaging in joint exploitation." Based on the guideline, China established diplomatic ties with Japan and other neighboring countries, and witnessed decades of sound bilateral relations.

Observers believe further steps will probably be taken by China to exercise its sovereignty over the islands. A Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that the ministry is closely watching the development of the situation and reserve the rights to take corresponding measures.

So the Japanese government should understand the severity of the issue, not to play with fire again and keep testing China's bottom line. Cherishing the hard-won bilateral friendship is the only way to achieve peace between the two countries and in the region as a whole.