Reining in Japanese rightists

Kakuei Tanaka, former Japanese prime minister, visited China in September 1972 and, on Sept 29 of that year, the Chinese and Japanese governments issued a joint statement which restored the countries' diplomatic relations. In the 40 years since then, Sino-Japanese relations have improved substantially and their economic ties have become stronger. Events this year, though, threaten to undo some of that progress.

The dispute over the islands was fanned after Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo, announced a plan in April to "purchase" the islets of the Diaoyu Islands from the self-proclaimed private owner of that land. Ishihara is a representative of Japanese rightists, who take every chance they can to sour the countries' relations.

The ire of the Chinese people recently was further raised by Japan's detention of Chinese activists after they had landed on the Diaoyu Islands and by a landing of Japanese rightists on the same islands. In response, anti-Japan protests have broken out in dozens of Chinese cities.