Plot can't hurt China-ASEAN ties

Japan has been busy trying to drive a wedge between China and ASEAN member states by using China's newly established Air Defense Identification Zone as a pretext. This is a typical case of the pot calling the kettle black, because Japan established its ADIZ way back in 1969. Moreover, by "nationalizing" China's Diaoyu Islands in September last year, it is also responsible for escalating tensions in the East China Sea.

Japan's hawkish politicians not only deny the terror and suffering they unleashed on their Asian neighbors before and during World War II, but also ignore the Cairo Declaration. Japan is thus making a fool of itself by pretending to be a peace-loving country in order to force ASEAN to oppose China's ADIZ at the Dec 13-15 Japan-ASEAN summit in Tokyo.

During his visit to Japan last week, US Vice-President Joe Biden refused to issue a joint statement with Japan against China's ADIZ despite Japanese zealots' calls to "reinforce alliance to deal with China's forceful methods". This indicates that even though the US backs Japan, it avoids roiling China because of the significance of the new type major-power relationship between Beijing and Washington.