BEIJING, Feb. 10 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should learn lessons of history and not revive militarism, an article carried in Monday's China Daily warned.

Abe and his supporters want to glorify Japan's militarist past and modify its pacifist constitution. Their ultimate aim is to transform Japan into a military superpower, Gao Hong, a researcher at the Institute of Japanese Studies, affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote in the article.

The so-called "active pacifism" advocated by Abe is nothing but an attempt to remove the military restraints on Japan imposed by the pacifist constitution, according to the piece.

Gao listed Abe's actions that demonstrated his appreciation for Japan's militarist past and hard-line stance on territorial disputes with neighboring nations: posing for photographs in a plane symbolizing the notorious Japanese chemical and biological warfare Unit 731, shouting "long live the emperor", a chant commonly used by Japanese soldiers during World War II, and visiting the Yasukuni Shrine that honors 14 Class-A war criminals.

Abe has taken a rightist turn as he tries to garner the support of all right-wing elements in Japan, wrote Gao.

The denial of historical facts, especially on the Yasukuni Shrine and "comfort women", and revision of history in textbooks have provided Abe an environment where he can "realize his political ambitions", he continued.

To stabilize his governing, Abe is creating extreme nationalism. "Among all forms of nationalism, 'territorial nationalism' has the most powerful influence and greatest emotional appeal, especially in a country like Japan which has relatively scarce natural resources," wrote the author.

Japan's territorial disputes with its neighbors have fueled nationalistic sentiments among many Japanese people, who regard China as an enemy, and detest the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Russia, Gao wrote.

If Abe and his government refuse to change their ways, they will indeed cause great harm to East Asia and the world beyond, he warned.

But Gao held that Abe's "evil designs" will not interrupt China's peaceful development nor can they stop the world's advance toward peace and prosperity.

The author suggested that China, the ROK and other countries that once suffered the brutalities of Japanese invasion to establish regular communication and jointly safeguard the judgment of the international community and maintain peace and stability in the region.

But he is worried that East Asian countries' efforts to promote peace and stability will not be reciprocated by an Abe-led Japan, because in Abe's view, history has nothing to do with right and wrong and even Japan's aggression is yet to be definitively defined.

If Abe and his government want to repeat historical tragedies, they will eventually find their ruin in history, according to Gao.