Both of the above are true. China is getting more aggressive about control of the oceans near, and not so near, China. China has a territorial dispute with Japan over the islands south of Kyushu and northeast of Taiwan. China is also claiming some islands further south, in the South China Sea, but that disagreement is with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
China's military parade last week was very anti-Japan. Of course, Japan did invade China during WWII. That's not being forgotten by the current leaders of China. China made a big point of their land-based anti-ship missiles, which were featured prominently in the parade.
i wonder if there is any significance they chose september 18th to re-militarize overseas action, being thats the date japan invaded china in 1931.
all else aside on the territorial disputes, i feel abe and his associates continually look past their genocides and atrocities in WWII, continually going to war memorials and celebrations of these same japanese that attacked US and committed the acts during WWII.
so china leaders definitely have a reason to hold a grudge and not forget.
The biggest annoyance to the Japanese at the moment is the number of Chinese tourists overrunning everywhere.
It's easy to read the newspapers about the govts of the world rattling their sabres at one another; what the people actually feel is often quite different.
Japan's military is disadvantaged by a lack of personnel with combat experience. The change permits japanese soldiers to participate as an equal partner with its allies, and to remedy its experience defecit.
China's military parade last week was very anti-Japan. Of course, Japan did invade China during WWII. That's not being forgotten by the current leaders of China. China made a big point of their land-based anti-ship missiles, which were featured prominently in the parade.