Along with all this, Japanese politicians have continued to deny their heinous war crimes, including the Nanjing Massacre, whose 77th anniversary will be observed on Dec 13, and the military abuse of "comfort women" as sex slaves during WWII.

Many Japanese officials, scholars and tourists have said Japanese people of different generations have different attitudes toward China, and the channels through which Japanese and Chinese people could interact are limited and heavily influenced by politics. It is important that both sides separate politics from people-to-people exchanges, or else true mutual understanding will remain elusive.

Perhaps some Chinese people should reflect on their prejudice, characterized by blind chauvinism and narrow nationalism, toward Japan. Some even unnecessarily politicize cultural and sports issues when it comes to Japan. For example, there was no reason for some Chinese people to call Go Seigen, or Wu Qingyuan, one of the greatest modern masters of go, a traitor and "walking dog" of Japan when he died at the age 100 last month in Kanagawa, Japan, because it is the love of the traditional Chinese board game that prompted him to change his nationality from Chinese to Japanese.

China's economy is now about twice that of Japan. The change in the power balance has naturally aggravated Japan's concerns. And China could feel similarly if India were to overtake it as an economic power in the near future.

Sino-Japanese friendship is what the region and the world at large needs now. We should not allow people-to-people exchanges, which can help deepen mutual understanding and trust, to be kidnapped by politics. Else, people like Ken Takakura will be erased from the collective memory of both Chinese and Japanese forever.

The author is a writer with China Daily. liyang@chinadaily.com.cn