The right-wing forces in Japan are attempting to use the Diaoyu Islands issue to gain political interest said a Japanese scholar in an interview with CCTV Sunday. Despite strong warnings and opposition voiced by top Chinese leaders the Japanese government on Tuesday approved the purchase of the Diaoyu Islands. The Japanese government s move has seriously threatened China-Japan relation. Satoshi Amako a Japanese scholar who has studied Japan-China relations for about 40 years pointed out that the right-wing forces represented by Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara attempt to take advantage of the issue on Diaoyu Islands to gain political interest directly leading to the deadlock of Japan-China relations. According to a survey released by Japanese national broadcaster NHK about 55 percent Japanese opposed the purchase and nationalization of Diaoyu Islands. Noda government s move on Diaoyu Islands obviously lacks public support. Japan has to do something as its national strength gradually drops. The right-wing forces hope to form a new political power by herding together the worried nationalists whose number is on the increase. So they are taking the advantage of an anti-China sentiment to incite those nationalists. I think this is the real purpose of Ishihara said Amako. Amako believed that the two countries should remain calm at present. China and Japan should deal with it from a higher perspective understanding the importance of each other and avoiding further exacerbation of the relations. The most important thing is having an attitude like this. The two sides should avoid the situation to get out of hand. The two sides should keep a certain distance and have an open dialogue said Amako. Meanwhile the two giant pandas that arrived at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo in 2011 still attract a large number of tourists every day. Giant pandas have been envoys of friendship since China sent the first pair of giant pandas to Japan in 1972 on the normalization of China-Japan relations. Giant panda has made a great contribution to the friendship between China and Japan. I think it will help to resume our friendship said a resident in Tokyo.

• published: 31 Oct 2013
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