Japan\'s handling of the case is seen as a direct challenge of China\'s sovereignty over the contended islands.
Suspension of the East China Sea gas field talks, scheduled for mid-September, is the first move of China\'s counter strike.
Given the decades of relationship-building after WWII, China will probably not resort to force over this incident.
But, if the protests from the Chinese government and public don\'t bring the Japanese back from the brink of a relations breakdown, Beijing has to consider stronger retaliatory measures.
Japan may not have realized how much it has to lose due to its actions.
No matter who wins, the Japanese leader will have to face the fact that Japan cannot intimidate or antagonize China without serious consequences.