Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Editor's Note:

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), a war that changed geopolitics in East Asia. How can China draw experience from this war? What is its significance for the current China-Japan relationship? An international seminar to commemorate the war held last week in Weihai, East China's Shandong Province, invited a number of experts at home and abroad to share their thoughts.

Liu Huanming, professor at the School of Marxism, Jiangnan University based in Jiangsu Province

The first Sino-Japanese War in 1894 was a turning point in East Asia and affected modern times. During the war, the US claimed it stuck to a neutral policy and refused to join the interference by other Western powers. But in fact, the US took an active role in mediating between China and Japan. It was the US that played the major part.

It is an undisputable fact that the US favored Japan during the war. This was due to its dissatisfaction with the closed-door policy of the Qing government.

The US' favor for Japan was based on Washington's own will to walk toward modernization. The US was determined to counter the infiltration of European countries in East Asia and encouraged East Asian countries to become modern.

The Qing government had turned a blind eye to US suggestions for reforms that could lead to modernity, while Japan showed a tendency toward modernity.

When the US had to make a choice between China and Japan, it was ready to sacrifice China's interests to promote modernity in East Asia.

A lesson that the US should draw from the war is that it was deceived by a hypocritical Japan. Washington gradually realized Japan's intention to boost militarism and its plot to share North Korea and China's northeastern region with Russia.

This propelled the US to become one of the international forces to support China's integrity of sovereignty after WWI and stand with China to fight against Japan's fascism.

In the face of today's disputes in East Asia, the US should keep a clear mind toward the dangerous right-wing tendency in Japanese politics. It should adopt an objective stance on the issues of the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

As for China, it is regrettable that the Qing government failed to reveal Japan's aggressive ambitions and help the US realize Japan's militarist tendencies.

This requires the Chinese government to go beyond its mentality as a war victim and have an objective understanding of the war, such as the US' role during the war.

China should help the international community to recognize Japan's militarist past and be objective in East Asian affairs.

Huang Ko-wu, research fellow at the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica based in Taiwan

One important reason for Japan's victory in the war was the development of the Japanese naval forces. It had brought in the concept of sea power, and trained its naval forces over two decades before the war. Japan also attached great importance to the research of naval history. Japan has recorded in detail the war patterns and casualties during the sea battles with China.

It's been 120 years since the first Sino-Japanese War. During this time, China has experienced a tough modernization process, and the strength of China and Japan has changed.

In recent years, China has adjusted its strategy in its sea borders with a sea power consciousness.

It's worth noting that after its victory in the war, Japan entered the real phase of imperialism and eventually walked toward militarism, from which its entire nation has suffered greatly.

Avoiding the expansion of China's nationalism so as not to repeat Japan's mistakes is a lesson China should draw from Japan. If China manages to do this, it will play a leading role in East Asia.

Hiroshi Ise, lecturer at Meiji University based in Kyoto, Japan

In the first Sino-Japanese War, Japan defeated the Qing government, which was supposed to be powerful. This seemed to prove that Japan's way toward Western civilization was correct and that a civilized Japan didn't have to treat a backward Qing government equally. This resulted in Japan's contempt for China.

Later, in order to unite the whole country and based on its contempt for both China and Russia, Japan carried out "education" to demonize its enemies and create nationalism.

Japan used xenophobic opinions to hype the danger of outside enemies to unite the country. The mindset of contempt lingered in Japanese society which lasted until the second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45).

Currently, such a mindset has almost gone, yet the relationship between the two countries has come to the lowest point.

It is regrettable that there have been claims that another war could take place between the two. But it is perhaps true that mutual trust cannot be built within a short period of time.

Japan will not survive without the Chinese economy. The two sides have their own approach regarding historical issues, and it is difficult to reach a consensus.

These issues should be set aside while diplomatic problems need to be solved more urgently.

If Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe carries on with his naïve path, China and Japan will see no future.