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The article discusses Chinese diplomacy towards Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia within the context of its disputed territorial claims to coral reefs and islands in the South China Sea and East China Sea. An overview of the government of Vietnam and the Philippines' attitude towards their boundary disputes with China is provided.

The article looks previews the remarks likely to be made by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe around August 15, 2015, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. It notes past Japanese leaders have made statements of apology for the country's military aggression and says that people in other countries, particularly South Korea and China, are attentive to what Abe will say. Trends in China-Japan and South Korea-Japan relations are discussed.

The article focuses on Chinese plans to commemorate the end of the second world war in 1945 with a huge military parade in Beijing in September of 2015. It states that the parade will be the first time China commemorates the war with a show of military force instead of a solemn ceremony and suggests the symbolism will unsettle other East Asian nations. It suggests the demonization of Japan is unfair as Japan is largely pacifistic and warns that nationalist animosity cannot always be controlled.