Why is it that when Chinese people hear talk of war, they do not feel fear—but rather, a sense of excitement? The Chinese public may have been spoiled by their government; they do not realize just how precious and hard-won peace truly is. If you were to go out onto the street and ask ordinary citizens whether they would dare to go to war with Japan, you would encounter two main camps. One group—the "doves"—would argue that it suffices simply to eliminate the Japanese right-wing extremists. I count myself among this faction, as I believe that good people do exist in Japan, and that we need only get rid of the bad ones. The other group—the "hawks"—would insist that we must wipe them all out, going so far as to suggest sinking the entire island.
Throughout history—from ancient times to the present day—China and Japan have engaged in five major conflicts:
1. **The Battle of Baekgang (663 AD):** The Tang Dynasty aided the polity comprising present-day North and South Korea (which existed as a single unified state at the time) in defeating Japan. Following this defeat, Japan dared not launch another invasion for a thousand years and subsequently embarked on a comprehensive adoption of Tang Dynasty culture—essentially assuming the role of a tributary "son" state to the Tang.
2. **The Mongol Invasions of Japan (1274–1281):** Kublai Khan launched two attempts to invade Japan, both of which ended in failure due to typhoons and logistical challenges.
3. **The Wanli War (1592–1598):** The Ming Dynasty aided the polity comprising present-day North and South Korea (which remained a single unified state at the time) in defeating Japan.
4. **The First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895):** The Manchu-led Qing Dynasty suffered a naval defeat against Japan, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Under this treaty, China ceded Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan and was compelled to pay an indemnity of 200 million taels of silver.
5. **The Second Sino-Japanese War (1931–1945):** Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China. Although China ultimately emerged victorious with the assistance of other nations, the Japanese forces perpetrated a brutal "Three Alls Policy" (*Sankō Sakusen*) during the conflict—characterized by "killing all," "looting all," and "burning all." ("Burning all" entailed the destruction of homes, villages, crops, and supplies to create depopulated zones; "killing all" involved the massacre of civilians and prisoners of war—including the elderly, women, and children; and "looting all" involved the systematic plunder of food, livestock, valuables, and natural resources.)
Ordinary citizens are the ones who hold grudges the longest. Those in power at the top might pursue "Sino-Japanese friendship" for the sake of political or economic interests, but the common people at the grassroots level will never forget the blood debts of the past. China, perhaps having been hobbled by the influence of Confucian ideology, tends to be far too lenient toward its enemies. The United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan, yet Japan now grovels before America; Russia shipped Japanese prisoners of war off to the frozen wilderness to dig for potatoes, and consequently, Japan fears Russia. But what about China? Every time we defeat Japan, we demand no reparations or benefits; yet every time we lose, we end up conceding massive advantages to them. It is as if Japan were a wolf and China a docile sheep; even if the wolf suffers a defeat and goes hungry, how could it ever truly fear the sheep? Consequently, the Chinese public is actually quite dissatisfied with their government. I, personally, have a particular fondness for Japan's Sanae Takaichi—precisely because she is the kind of figure who might actually instigate a war, something I have long been yearning for. Do you realize that in my own country, if someone attacks me physically, I am forbidden from fighting back? If I *do* fight back, it is legally classified as "mutual combat," and *both* parties face criminal prosecution! The authorities forbid us from engaging in physical altercations; yet, given how powerful our nation has become, why can't we take the initiative to strike at Japan? Yet, those "things" at the top simply refuse to do so. Do you have any idea how frustratingly helpless that feels? I honestly want to curse those people in power and call them utter morons. This world operates according to the "law of the jungle." If I were in charge, I would have reclaimed Taiwan long ago; as for those "Taiwan independence" separatists—since they aren't truly "our people"—we should simply wipe them all out. Would the U.S. dare to intervene militarily? I am 100% certain they wouldn't. Taiwan is a matter of our national sovereignty, and since we possess nuclear weapons, what is there to fear? At worst, the whole world goes down together—so be it. To be perfectly honest, I don't actually dislike Americans; in fact, I feel a certain sense of gratitude toward them. After all, it was the Americans who dropped those two atomic bombs on Japan—one could argue that they effectively helped the Chinese people exact their revenge upon the Japanese. However, the decline of the United States is an undeniable reality. I used to imagine America as a place where people worked only four hours a day and spent the rest of their time happily traveling and having fun; the reality, however, is quite different—it is a place rife with drug addiction, where people walk into schools with guns and slaughter children, and where simply obtaining an education seems to require taking out massive loans. In my view, there is no absolute "right" or "wrong" side in the rivalry between China and the U.S.; both nations are simply at loggerheads because they both aspire to be the world's sole superpower. So, honestly speaking, I bear no ill will toward Americans. In fact, if the U.S. were to completely wipe out Japan, I would be perfectly content with China settling for the number-two spot in the world order. Of course, that is merely *my* personal opinion; the views held by those in power at the top are quite different from mine.
When I was a child, I absolutely detested South Korea. They seemed to claim ownership of everything Chinese—such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Confucius, kimchi, traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery, and the Lantern Festival—totaling over twenty items of intangible cultural heritage. However, I once came across a video online where a South Korean teacher explained that Korea views itself as a "Little China." It turns out they have long been in mourning for the Ming Dynasty, regarding China as their mother and themselves as her dutiful children. They perceive Japan, conversely, as an unfilial child—one that is rebellious and even harbors the intent to commit matricide and patricide. This explains why, whenever Japan attacked Korea or the Korean Peninsula, China consistently intervened to help them fight off the Japanese aggressors. There is, in fact, another "mischievous child" in the family: Vietnam. Back in the day, they insisted on becoming the regional hegemon of Southeast Asia and went so far as to abolish Chinese characters; as a result, modern-day Vietnamese people can no longer read or understand the history written by their own ancestors. Consequently, they were given a sound thrashing—and judging by the current situation, Vietnam appears to be behaving itself quite nicely now. As you all know, if two people get into a fight and exchange blows, the one who was beaten—if they refuse to accept monetary compensation or an apology—is signaling that they still intend to seek revenge. This is precisely why China refused to accept war reparations from Japan in the past: because China does not consider the matter to be settled. While Japan's animosity toward China stands at around 75%, China's desire to eliminate Japanese right-wing extremists is a staggering 100%. I hereby make a solemn vow: should a war ever break out between China and Japan, I will undoubtedly enlist and head to the battlefield (and if the number of volunteers is too high and I am not selected, I will donate money to support the soldiers who are fighting to kill the Japanese). I would kill Japanese right-wing extremists without a moment's hesitation. I do not wish to kill them with guns or artillery shells; rather, I want to use a small knife to slowly slice the flesh from their bodies, piece by piece. I hope that day arrives—and soon.