Yet 120 years after the war, a reversal of national strength is taking place between the two leading powers in Asia. This is something that some Japanese cannot digest. Moreover, many Japanese are haunted by their country's sluggish economy, which has given rise to many social problems such as suicides, and by China overtaking Japan as the world's second-largest economy four years ago.

In today's globalized world, countries' interests are intertwined and economies interdependent; there is no place for wars and aggression. Capital, market and public opinion now play a bigger role than government diktats in deciding a country's diplomatic policies.

So, it is time Japan realized that wars can no longer resolve disputes and serve national interests.

But there is no guarantee that Japan will not revive its militarist past, certainly not as long as the Shinzo Abe government refuses to reflect on history and own up to its war crimes. One can hope, however, that Japan's leadership and strategic elites will view the current international order rationally and realize the need to properly resolve Sino-Japanese disputes and avoid another war.

Earlier this year, Abe used a preposterous metaphor by comparing today's Sino-Japanese ties with those between Germany and the UK before World War I, to portray China as a threat. This misinterpretation of history exposed not only his ignorance of history, but also his obsession with outdated "jungle rules", which led Japan to doom in World War II.

Besides, by muscling through the "Special Secrets Protection Bill" and "reinterpreting" Japan's Constitution, the Abe government has claimed the right to collective self-defense for the first time after WWII and thus violated the country's postwar pacifist policy. By "seeking" a meeting with Chinese leaders and yet visiting Yasukuni Shrine that honors 14 Class-A WWII criminals, Abe has upset not only China, but also other Asian countries.

China's peaceful rise and rapid economic growth over the past three decades reflect its consistent efforts to avoid a repeat of the tragic past and its ability to preserve peace in Asia. Japan should value this, and reflect on the atrocities its imperial army committed in countries across the region, especially China, in the last century.

This is the time for Abe and other Japanese right-wingers to realize that the "law of the jungle" has no place in today's world, a world that has undergone drastic changes since WWII. Abe can start the process by declaring that he will not visit Yasukuni Shrine any more and agreeing to hold negotiations with China to resolve the Diaoyu Islands dispute.

The author is deputy chief of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.