Chinese are naturally concerned about Shintaro Ishihara's plan to form the third force in Japanese politics, but Americans may be even more concerned about it because the main political sign of Ishihara's force is nationalism, and the root of Japanese nationalism is anti-American sentiment.
The United States has been an obstacle to Japan's rise to great power status since last century, so Japan is highly likely to bear a grudge.
The history of U.S.-Japan alliance shows that anti-Americanism has always been a part of Japanese nationalism.
The historical issues between the United States and Japan remain unresolved from a historical perspective.
Washington must be clearly aware that the strategy of using Japanese nationalism to serve its own purposes will eventually backfire on itself. If Japanese right-wingers can use nationalism to confront China, they may do the same thing to the United States someday. Furthermore, confronting China may be a springboard for their attack on the United States at last.
The Japan That Can Say No, written by Ishihara and published in 1989, clearly shows Ishihara's strong anti-American sentiment. Although he no longer directly says that in his political slogans today, his advocacy of rewriting Japan's constitution, educational reforms, and civilian use of U.S. military bases is self-evidently targeted at the United States.
When the unhealthy aspects of Japanese nationalism translate into anti-American actions, the legitimacy of the U.S.-led post-WWII international order and its ethical basis as a victor will be severely challenged. The United States should be clear-headed enough to make right decisions concerning its national interests.
Read the Chinese version: 美纵容日本终将祸及自身, source: People's Daily, author: Zhang Yun
