Sino-Japanese relations have been deteriorating ever since Shinzo Abe assumed the position of Japanese prime minister. The escalating tensions between China and Japan are beginning to leave people concerned with the possible war risks between the two East Asian powers.

[By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

Yet one has to understand that the Sino-Japanese relationship is more than merely a simple bilateral relation, but one that also involves the United States. The reason why the United States plays a dominant factor is the existence of the U.S.-Japan alliance, which urges both China and Japan to actively consider how Washington will act -- a reasonable way of handling the regional issue as Washington's stance is expected to cast a decisive influence.

Though the U.S.-Japan alliance does not necessarily mean the two nations are united as one. Yet if China fails to correctly perceive the coalition, major strategic mistakes are likely to happen.

In fact, many people are unable to see through the many facets in the present China-Japan relationship, as there are volatile uncertainties. If one were to change the perspective as to evaluate the ties from the angle of U.S.-Japan relations, things would clear up.

Within the U.S.-Japan relations, Washington is facing a dilemma, possibly referred to as the "Japan dilemma" which originated from the U.S.-Japan alliance. Because of this alliance, a product of Cold War, the confrontations in East Asia did not halt as the Cold War came to its end.

The United States occupied Japan upon its victory in World War II. Nonetheless, unlike the policies applied to Germany, the United States -- along with its allies -- did not punish Japan for its war crimes nor did it clear the imperial Japanese government's war legacies.

The United States chose to protect Japan in order to contain the expanding socialism headed by the Soviet Union at the time. When the Communist Party of China became the ruling party of the People's Republic in 1949, the United States even wished the Washington-Tokyo ties to contain the newly founded China.

Apart from the trials of war criminals, the United States did not touch upon Japan's pre-World War II ruling power or its social structure, for example by retaining Japan's monarchy. Japan's emperor was the nominal initiator of the war, but escaped punishment, indicating no one was responsible for waging the war.

The Tokyo Trials proclaimed justice, but retained the political room to breed militarism in Japan. In fact, many war criminals and those who narrowly escaped trials soon returned to politics.

The U.S. failure in eradicating Japan's historical view of war

The United States purposefully turned a blind eye to Japan's historical view of World War II, in an attempt to counter communism. During the 1960s-1970s, there were some Japanese leftist groups, scholars and even political figures who reflected on Japan's own militarism, but such ideological trends never became the mainstream.

The U.S. connivance bred the rightwing trend in Japan. For the rightist activists, the Pacific War was a righteous one in "fighting against Western imperialism."

Also, in its attempt to contain the communist bloc, Washington provided a superior environment for Japan's economy to take off. In the effective nuclear protection, Japan was able to dedicate its entire effort to economic growth. As a member of the Western bloc, Japan was granted the vast Western market, effectively putting Japan back into the first tier in economy within a very short time span.

The post-World War II Germany, too, needed market access to other countries in seeking development. German political leaders completely broke with the militarist history amid the nation's active efforts to mend the ties with victims of the Nazi regime.

By contrast, Japan, as the U.S. protégé, never sought to compromise with its war victims, especially after Japan became an economic world leader.

Besides benefiting from the alliance, the United States only needs to ensure that Japan will never challenge its leadership. For this reason, when the Japanese economy was ascending too fast, the United States forced the yen to appreciate, effectively keeping Japan in its subordination.

The coalition also deprived Japan of its independent diplomacy and strategic initiative -- both of which are part of any country's sovereignty. Both Japan's left wing and right wing politicians vented their resentment about the fact.

In the 1980s, Japan's right wing started to challenge the United States by saying "No" to its protector.