It has been 129 years since Alfred Nobel passed away on November 27, 1895. A year before his death, the Swedish chemist, inventor and entrepreneur made a decision in Paris in memory of his brother Robert Nobel to dedicate 94% of his legacy to a series of awards to those who have made outstanding contributions to the cause of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace.
In this way, the Nobel Prize came into being and became one of the most prestigious and influential awards in the world. Winning the Nobel Prize is undoubtedly the ultimate dream of every scholar, scientist and peace activist, and represents the highest recognition of his life's achievements.
The "Nobel Complex" of the Japanese
For us Chinese, the Nobel Prize is not the ultimate goal. After all, this is an award dominated by Western countries, and the judges will inevitably have some colored glasses and national biases. Therefore, winning the Nobel Prize is not exactly the same as the level of academic attainment.
Historically, there have only been three Chinese Nobel Prizes - Yang Zhenning, Mo Yan and Tu Youyou. Including foreign Chinese, there are only 11 people in total. This does seem a little pitiful in the context of the global Chinese.
Mo Yan's Nobel Prize Certificate. In October 2012, he became the first Chinese Nobel Prize winner in literature
However, we should not get too caught up in this. The Chinese civilization has a long history, and its achievements in scientific and technological innovation and in the fields of culture and art have long been deeply rooted.
In contrast, the Japanese attach much more importance to the Nobel Prize. In their view, winning the Nobel Prize is tantamount to being recognized and accepted by the Western world, and it is the best proof to prove that they have successfully "left Asia and joined Europe."
Their obsession with the Nobel Prize can be seen in the remarks of the 2018 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Yu Honjo. Yu Honjo is a renowned immunologist who was awarded the award for his work on "the discovery of suppressive immune modulation in cancer treatment."
Regrettably, however, despite his academic achievements, he has not been able to step out of a narrow nationalist frame in his thinking. Shortly after winning the award, he bluntly declared in public that Japan "still has the ability to defeat China" if China and Japan go to war again.
Tasuku Honjo
The Four "Arguments" of Yu Honjo
In order to justify his wild rhetoric, Honjo also cited four so-called "arguments". However, these four points expose his ignorance and prejudice against contemporary China. Let's break it down one by one:
There is a huge disparity in technology
According to Honjo, Japan is far ahead of China in the field of science and technology, and has basically no rival other than the United States.
This statement is too conceited. As long as you have a little common sense, you should know that the power of contemporary China in scientific and technological innovation should not be underestimated. The mainland is at the forefront of the world in many fields such as aerospace, supercomputing, artificial intelligence, 5G communications, and new energy, and its investment in science and technology is second only to the United States, becoming the second largest country in the world.
In contrast, Japan's scientific and technological prowess, while consistently at the top, has shown signs of inadequacy. After World War II, it temporarily overtook China with the support of the United States, but as the times passed, its innovation momentum and vitality weakened, and it was difficult to make breakthroughs in key areas.
geographical location
Honjo also believes that China is located in East Asia and is surrounded by Japan, South Korea, India, and other countries, and the United States, which is far away across the ocean, is eyeing each other, and that if a war breaks out, it will inevitably be attacked by these countries.
Such remarks undoubtedly underestimate China's strength and geopolitical wisdom, and there are certain contradictions and conflicts of interest between these countries, and it is difficult to reach an agreement with the outside world. In this day and age, no rational country will easily provoke a war, because the cost is too heavy.
In addition, China has many friendly countries that can be relied upon, and if it is invaded by foreign enemies, they will surely lend a helping hand. It can be said that China is no more "isolated" than Japan.
Hands-on experience
Honjo also boasted that Japan had actual combat experience in modern warfare, which New China had never experienced since its founding.
How superficial is this viewpoint! Actual combat experience is important, but it is by no means a decisive factor. Since ancient times, the Chinese people have been known for their wisdom and courage, and even when their equipment is backward, they have never flinched in the face of foreign enemies. For example, during the Korean War, our army, with its tenacious will to fight, repeatedly defeated well-equipped American troops.
Today, the Chinese armed forces have made great progress in modernizing and are capable of dealing with modern warfare in all aspects. Even if they lack actual combat experience, with the wisdom and courage of Chinese soldiers, they will surely grow rapidly in the flames of war.
Ethnic division
Honjuyou also made a presumptuous comment, saying that the Chinese people lack cohesion, there is a serious problem of ethnic division, and it is difficult to unite in the war.
I can only say that he has flattened the integrity of the Chinese nation. We, the sons and daughters of China, have been famous for our patriotism since ancient times, and no matter how much we suffer, we have never succumbed to foreign invasions. History has proven time and again that whenever a country is in danger, the Chinese people will be able to temporarily put aside their differences and unite with blood.
As the saying goes, "silkworm leaves grow from the same root, and wood grows from the same root", although the Chinese nation comes from all over the world, it is a flesh and blood compatriot and shares a common destiny.
And Honjo's arrogance is rooted in the stubborn disease of Japanese nationalism. Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has been trying to imitate the West and strive to "break away from Asia and join Europe." In their view, only by completely getting rid of the Asian identity can they be accepted by the Western world. The funny thing is that in order to achieve this goal, the Japanese have not only begun to worship the West in their minds, but also in their behavior. They are delusional in their desire to conquer Asia by force and become the "leaders of Asia."
In the end, their crazy act was forcefully countered by the Chinese people. In the long War of Resistance Against Japan, we used our blood and lives to awaken the crazy dreams of the Japanese.
To this day, that brutal war is still deeply imprinted in the memory of the Chinese people. We will never forget that there was once a crazy neighbor, bloodthirsty, whose iron hooves wreaked havoc on the land of the motherland for eight years.