Crying out for tightened independent sanctions on the DPRK, pursuant to the U.S. policy, Japan put even Chinese businesses on the sanctions list to come under strong fire.

On July 28 a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it is as foolish an act as raising an axe to bring it down on its own foot that Japan does harm to both itself and others in pursuance of a certain country's interests, warning that the Chinese side would never accept the wrong action of the Japanese side and the latter is to blame for all the responsibilities to be entailed by its action.

Japan's action, as a measure taken in the wake of the U.S. "secondary boycott" against Chinese enterprises in June, is aimed at tarnishing the international image of China, a permanent member of the UNSC.

It is Japan which is energetically claiming, like the U.S., that "China is responsible" for the issue of the DPRK.

Japan went the lengths of making such remarks as that China should play an additional role in escalating the pressure on the DPRK and that China is of importance in the role. And it is working hard to turn the theatre of China-Japan diplomacy into an arena for discussing the sanctions on the DPRK.

It also made no scruple of urging China to restrict the oil export to the DPRK at the G20 Summit held in Germany early in July, in a bid to create impression that Japan plays more leading role in tackling the regional security issue than others.

As known, Japan's proactive involvement in dealing with the hotspot issues in Asia is motivated by an selfish intention to improve its image in the region.

It is crystal clear to all that for Japan, trying to shake off the ill-fame of a defeated state and emerge a military giant, China is a big obstacle as it has complicated bilateral issues including the issue of the past and exercises its influence as a regional power.

Precisely for this reason, Japan is meddling in such regional issues quite indifferent to it as the issue of South Sea of China and in even China's internal affairs.

Japan, which succeeded in becoming a non-permanent member of the UNSC with the backing of the U.S., may seek a permanent membership of the UNSC, elbowing the regional power out.

If Japan thinks it can cover up its faults by tarnishing other's image, then it is sadly mistaken.

Japan's sinister moves to gain its own profits through instability in the region would invite countermeasures hard to face.

By Kim Man Ho