Yasushi Kudo, head of the Genron NPO, an NGO seeking to improve Sino-Japanese relations, sees a growing danger in Japan of populists milking the China issue for political ends.
We have reason to believe that Shinzo Abe will make efforts to repair Sino-Japanese relations after coming to power again, even if it is just for Japan's "national interests".
"We can understand that Japan wants to strengthen its interests in South East Asia when the prospects of Sino-Japanese relations look bleak, " it said.