The right-wing forces in Japan attract more attention from the Chinese public than their counterparts in any other country. Recently, statements and acts by Japanese right-wingers over the Diaoyu Islands have stirred up wide concerns among Chinese.

As the right-wing forces grow stronger in Japan, Japan's Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa was even asked by the government to apologize for his criticism of Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara's proposal to "purchase" China's Diaoyu Islands. We have to take precautions against the growing influence of right-wing forces in Japan.

At the moment, some Japanese right-wing organizations protest mainly through street-side mobile loudspeakers. Most members of the right-wing organizations are at the lower echelons of society and some are even former members of the Yakuza, Japan's organized crime syndicates.

I have contacted the heads of some right-wing organizations. They never cover up their pursuit of Japanese national interest and beliefs when it comes to historical and territorial disputes between the two. There are about 100,000 Japanese who have joined right-wing organizations, while less than 10,000 are active members, and these organizations have limited influence.

Compared with these right-wing organizations, Japan's right-wing politicians have very considerable clout. They can talk eloquently in the parliament and on any other occasions, and influence national legislation and government decision-making.

The pro-US and anti-China right-wingers in Japan do not see China's development as an opportunity for their domestic growth. On the contrary, China's rise sticks in their throat.

Whenever these right-wing politicians dominate or play a significant role in Japanese politics, Sino-Japanese relationship walks on a bumpy road.

Besides these right-wing politicians, rightist intellectuals shouldn't be. They deny the history of Japanese atrocities in China in their works and actively hype the "China threat" theory.

In his book China will Annex Japan, Japanese political scientist Hiramatsu Shigeo claimed the East China Sea will become China's strategic frontier, and China will annex the Korean Peninsula and Japan. He believed Japan would either submit to China or have to demonstrate its solid alliance with the US.

Chinese should be highly alert to the words and deeds of these Japanese right-wing politicians and intellectuals, and should go straight to exposing and striking their damaging intentions.

The author is a researcher with the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn