Why does China oppose Japanese remilitarization?
On a gut level, Chinese fear the idea of a repeat of the Pacific War, and generally accept the ideas that Japan is inherently warlike and not sufficiently penitent for what Japan did during the war. Chinese media and education policies encourage the Chinese public to retain these attitudes. Additionally, the Chinese government uses the issue of Japanese guilt to rally support for denying Japan a leadership role in the region, a role the Chinese want to reserve for themselves.
