Japan has unilaterally decided to "nationalize" the Diaoyu Islands. It said that the Japanese authorities expected this action would be a soft landing for the dispute between China and Japan over the islands. However, under the current circumstances, how could that be expected?

The Japanese government's decision of buying the Diaoyu Islands was aimed at acquiring the visible right of actual control. It doesn't want to change the current situation on the Diaoyu Islands. What they really want to see is a peaceful evolution of the situation around the islands. But nationalization of the Diaoyu Islands has completely violated the consensus between China and Japan on "shelving disputes."

Based on a spirit of mutual understanding and seeking common ground while reserving differences, politicians in both China and Japan once reached a consensus of "shelving disputes." It was the premise of the reestablishment of Sino-Japanese relations in the 1970s. Currently, the cyclical deterioration of the Sino-Japanese relationship caused by historical issues should be resolved by joint research development.

Japan's unilateral action has seriously damaged the diplomatic relations between China and Japan. The only possible means to save the bilateral diplomatic relations is to stop any form of "islands purchase."

One way out is to immediately start carrying out joint research and diplomatic negotiations to solve the dispute. By addressing the dispute, we can make the first step toward achieving a historical reconciliation between China and Japan. Chinese people will never accept the unilateral nationalization of the Diaoyu Islands by Japan and Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations cannot thrive under these conditions.

Japan, the first developed country in East Asia, has both mature democratic political system and sophisticated diplomacy. It was supposed to take the leading role in the reconciliation of East Asia. However, Japanese diplomacy still remains narrowly focused on national interests.

Japan needs to overcome the imperialist mentality of the 20th century and establish universal values and responsibility for the regional order.

Only by achieving a balance between "interests" and "morality," can Japan win respect both internationally and regionally. If the Japanese government has any responsibility, they should show the wisdom and courage to solve practical problems in Sino-Japanese relations. Stopping the island transaction is the first step.

The author is an associate professor at the International Communication Department of Communication University of China. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn