To Ronald Dore:

Although we may disagree about NPT regime, I am glad you bravely raised the question of whether China today is similar to Japan (and Germany for that matter) in the 1930s. I have started to think in the same directions and although I haven't come to any particular conclusions yet I have begun to be struck too by the similarities: an economic and military rising power with historical grievances resentful of the Western (UK or US) hegemon and that is not democratic but may be responsive to or manipulating a populist nationalism. I wonder if you can give us your thoughts on this without undermining your own writings in advance?

Along similar lines, whilst I have absolutely no patience for the Japanese right's denial of history, I have started to find the assumption of some Chinese nationalists that the Japanese of today haven't changed since their army's barbaric behavior of the 1930s increasingly ironic (not to mention racist).

Best regards,
Ellis