The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on December 4 that given the current frosty ties between China and Japan, the seventh ASEAN-plus-three summit, a trilateral meeting of China, Japan and the ROK, will not be held until conditions are ripe. During this period, the Chinese side will continue to perform its duty as a coordinator among the three countries.

Under the proposal of Japanese former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, leaders from China, Japan and the ROK specially held an informal breakfast meeting when attending the ASEAN 10+3 summit in 1999. The same thing happened the next year. In 2001, proposed by then Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, the breakfast was upgraded into an annual formal conference, and six of them have been held by now. However, the seventh trilateral gathering, which is scheduled at the upcoming summit in Kuala Lumpur, has to be aborted thanks to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's insistence on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which apparently hurt the feelings of the Chinese and South Korean people and poisoned the atmosphere among the three nations.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out recently that the Sino-Japanese relations are at a difficult time, and China is not responsible for such a situation. The Chinese side hopes Japan could take real actions as soon as possible to correct its mistakes.

It is known to all that during the WWII the Japanese aggression inflicted untold sufferings on Asian peoples including the Chinese and the South Koreans. Earnest reflection on history and sincere apology is an important political foundation for Japan to establish post-war national relations with related countries. Koizumi's shrine visit is no less than challenging such a political foundation. As an old saying goes, when slap somebody, don't slap in the face; when hurt somebody, don't hurt his heart, regrettably, the behavior of some Japanese politicians significantly hurt the feelings of Asian peoples, and after that they pretended nothing had happened. Under such a political climate there lacks a common ground for dialogue, so it's better not to waste our breath.

As a matter of fact, the 10+3 summit is an important event in East Asia to promote all-round regional cooperation and integration. Today, when global trade talks within WTO framework bogged down, regional economic cooperation is cruising ahead very rapidly, providing an opportunity for every country seeking for development. Then, what's the Japanese intention in raising unexpected difficulties at such a moment?

A big talk in recent Japanese society is to become "Britain in Asia" and a "world power" by clinging to the United States. Japan once had historical experience on "breaking away from Asia and join Europe", and today, some people once again take it up as the best way to national rejuvenation. Japan's modeling on history, however, made a mistake of taking the wrong time and space:

First, Today's Asia is no longer that of the past. Over three or four decades, Asia, especially the eastern part of it, has seen economic take-offs in many of its countries and regions, thus turning into one of the world economic engines. The present-day Asia, with its modernization level and cultural confidence, will never again be its past self suffering from chronic poverty and weakness 60 years ago. Japan's century-ago mentality is perhaps associated with its being unable to regard Asia in an equal way. This is a kind of psychological imbalance and also inner vulnerability in disguise.

Second, Japan is simply not Britain. The British-US "special relations" are deeply rooted in culture and history, both out of Japan's reach. The ties between Japan and the United States, given the "hidden barriers" within, are not even thick enough to be called "normal relations" between two "normal countries". They are doing nothing more than making use of each other and both parties know it perfectly. So, Japan's carving for becoming a "Britain in Asia" is most probably an impossible dream.

Third, Japan is a country of Northeast Asia. This is a helpless geo-political reality. Its surging up of right-wing nationalist forces may not be very pleasing to Washington. Therefore, Japan's challenging final conclusions in history as well as its Asian neighbors is nothing but self-exile and isolation, which will turn out hurting itself in the long run.

Japan should indeed draw a real and clear picture of the world affairs and extricate itself from a dangerous illusion about the general trends.

This comment by People's Daily senior editor Huang Qing is carried on the first page of People's Daily Overseas Edition, December 6, and is translated by People's Daily Online.