Recent news reports about the tensions between China and Japan suggest that the two major powers of Asia are heading for a showdown. It is to Malaysia's and Asia's interest that we avert such a showdown.

Such a confrontation will only benefit the West. Here in the East, we are hoping that both the two powers - in addition to India - will drive us to greater cooperation and prosperity.

Unfortunately, varied national interests including Japan's desire to earn a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the big egos of some of Asia's leaders and a strong Western influence will probably ensure that the much vaunted 'Asian Century' will never see the light of day.

Consider the following points:

Why has the West chosen to stay silent in the face of the brutal acts committed by the Japanese such as the Rape of Nanking in 1939? Why do they tolerate Japan's view that it was one of the major victims of World War II - as mentioned in Japanese history textbooks - instead of acknowledging it as being one the major aggressors of the war?

It is because the West is concerned with the rise of mighty China and the effect this will have on their current world domination? Japan is a major ally but China is a competitor and a major threat.

The West will try at any cost to drive a wedge between Asia's major powers in the hope of preventing unity which they fear will ultimately reduce their domination.

They will continue to manufacture crises or perceived threats such as North Korea, Iraq, Iran, and many others including the current China-Japan spat. This to continue with the policy of 'divide- and-conquer'.

We have seen this so many times in the past such as the cases of India-Pakistan, China-Hong Kong, Malaysia-Singapore, Palestine-Israel, as well as Northern-Ireland and Ireland.

Unless we can convince ourselves and resist their influence, the West will continue to do this ad infinitum.