Sino-Japanese relations have been described as "hot" in business but "cold" in politics for the past five years. And now the relations become the "coldest" ever since the normalization of bilateral relations in 1972. The reason is very obvious: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's consecutive visits to Yasukuni Shrine where war criminals of Second World War were honored regardless of the feeling of the war victims of his Asian neighbors. From now to October is Koizumi's last term. In his New Year address, Koizumi said he would continue to visit the shrine. It's not surprising for his remarks, but one should keep alert that Japan will create disturbances on Taiwan issue and make Sino-Japanese relations from "frost" to "blizzard".

Now it's just early 2006, Japan has shown its initial plot of causing disturbance on the Taiwan issue. A Japanese newspaper has reported that Japanese government is planning to revise its laws on neighboring situations and incorporate Taiwan's problem as its own. Experts think Japan is testing reactions from the other side of the strait and pave the way for the real process. If the plan is put into action, it will be the most reckless provocation. Other provocative actions are under planning: Taiwan separatist Lee Denghui plans to visit Japan in May and he requested that he go to visit the Yasukuni Shrine.

In recent years, Japan's meddling in Taiwan affairs has been different from the past. In the past, whether it was the new defence guidelines or 2 plus 2 meeting, Japan always took the US stance as a pretext and pretended that it was not its own will, but just followed America. But this time, it has jumped from behind America to the front and actively pokes its nose in the situation across the Taiwan Straits. At the beginning of 2005, Lee Tenghui took the excuse of "illness" to visit Japan and played a "separation" farce with Japanese rightists. Afterwards, the latter not only abet the separatists but also incited them to visit the Shrine and deliberately provoke incidence in historical and Taiwan issues so that they would collaborate as if a two-man comic show and aroused more media attention.

Taiwan issue is the most sensitive one in Sino-Japanese relations. In 1972, it was after Japan promised to admit Taiwan as an inseparable part of China that the two countries normalized their diplomatic ties. In the joint communique signed by the two sides, Japan expressed that it fully understood China's stance on the three principles on normalization of bilateral relations. The principles are that the People's Republic of China is China's only legitimate government; Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and the Treaty between Japan and Chiang Kaishek, is invalid and should be abolished.

In 1998, the two countries published the Sino-Japanese joint declaration. Japan reiterated that there is only one China and Japan will continue to only have unofficial and regional contacts in Taiwan. In November 2004, Koizumi also reiterated that Japan adhered to one China policy and not to support Taiwan's independence when he and Chinese President Hu Jintao met.

Although Japan has promised this for many times, but in action, it's violated its promises for many times too. After the war, it was the strategic position of the so-called US "Lifeline at Sea" and "Taiwan Complex" that mainly influenced Japanese policies. But in recent years, the new motivation is to contain China's development. Japanese right wing has an uneasy psychology and some kind of fear about China's fast economic development. And it tries to make some hurdles in anticipation to sabotage the stable international environment China badly needs for its economic development.

Taiwan issue concerns China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and China's core interest, it also concerns the feelings of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. We like to warn Japan not to touch the Taiwan issue and nor to rush into danger in a strategically significant issue for China.

The article on the front page of People's Daily Overseas Edition, Jan. 26, is translated by People's Daily Online