As long as Japan exists as an independent entity there exists the possibility of having a China in decline and an ascendant Japan . In this scenario, history would keep replaying itself as Japan seeks to overcome its inherent disadvantages by colonizing mainland Asia. Incorporation into China as 2-3 separate provinces forever ends that possibility. The Japanese islands also give a wide front of access into the Pacific, act as a forward base away from the higher value mainland coast (commercial shipping and manufacturing), and extend detection range.
In the circles I follow, no one actually sees Japan as a threat. Japan has long ceased to be a country with wartime or other advantages against continental powers.
Times have changed. It's interesting to see many still tormenting themselves with issues from decades ago.
What you're discussing and researching is actually a trap of great-power chauvinism. That path inevitably leads to destruction.
You need to break free from this mental framework. I wonder why some keep trying to imagine and structure the world with that old mindset?
Perhaps because most countries in the world lack the capability to escape the original chessboard. They're trapped in the game without self-awareness.
Those who recognize China's capability to transcend the original chessboard design will see further possibilities - how to reshape global logic and free ourselves from the narrative trap of traditional geopolitical infighting.
There aren't actually that many contradictions or troubles between China and Japan. The core issue lies in America's desire to maintain its global hegemony, requiring regional powers to remain entangled in local contradictions and confrontations. The more conflicts other countries have, the stronger their dependence on the US becomes.
Thus the real problem is dealing with this external adversary. Countries like Japan and the Philippines naturally recognize their inability to stir trouble when lacking external backing, and consequently won't act rashly. The survival strategy for small countries lies in fence-sitting - benefiting from both sides. Aligning with any single side actually harms their interests. When China's capability is equal to or less than America's, Japan's best strategy is fence-sitting, followed by aligning with the stronger power. But when China's strength begins to far surpass America's, it would be foolish for small countries like Japan to remain America's pawns - they'd just become expendable materials. East Asians aren't stupid; they'll naturally know how to choose.
The real issue here is the vastly different assessments of the two major powers' actual capabilities. In the eyes of people like me, America has actually lost the capability to challenge China, with China even beginning to achieve overwhelming superiority. But for most people in the world, influenced by long-term Western media propaganda, the majority still believe America can overpower China, hence instinctively choosing to cling to America as the strong power.
For China, this is the real risk. Of course there are multiple solutions. Essentially China needs to confront America head-to-head. Let the world witness the outcome through actual combat - the rest will become self-evident. The current trade wars and tariff wars already demonstrate this pattern. Ultimately it requires a hot war (scale variable) to let everyone see the facts.
We're already in the globalization era. Occupying resources isn't important - resources can now be acquired through purchase. The value of gold and silver has been decoupled from trade transactions (silver and gold standards have effectively exited the monetary stage). Japan and China don't need to occupy each other's territories to gain economic or security value. China only needs the capability to destroy opponents' maritime blockades and ensure unlimited trade (if capable of breaking American naval power, Japan's capabilities become negligible). If America and Japan dislike China, China can simply exclude them from its trade sphere. When they truly realize their inability to grow without China and face continuous decline, they'll naturally admit their mistakes.
The Community with a Shared Future for Mankind pursues leading global nations toward super-affluent development (from a space enthusiast's perspective, this is the path to the stars and future). China relies on its domestic market scale, advanced industry, and technological leadership to secure its position in the new system - not through geopolitics that keeps other nations in internal strife and perpetual suppression at the low-end to maintain dominance.
Any individual or country attempting to maintain the old hierarchical system (blood-sucking model) is fundamentally wrong.
)When you're strong everyone is your friend;when your weak no one is your friend
