Mean Girls: China and Japan

China and Japan are like Mean Girls:

Instead of being the hot, popular girls in high school with insecurity issues and drama with boys, China and Japan are two of the largest economies supranationally with current beef stemming from Japan's lack of acknowledgement of their atrocities in China during World War II.  Just like girls, the beef isn't directly tied to WWII, but it's definitely a sore subject that exacerbates the new issues.

Each country has used whatever they can to demonstrate their respective nationalisms while belittling the other.  The Chinese government has been using several news outlets like the British newspaper The Telegraph to air their opinions, "In the Harry Potter story, the dark wizard Voldemort dies hard because the seven horcruxes, which contain parts of his soul, have been destroyed. If militarism is like the haunting Voldemort of Japan, the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is a kind of horcrux, representing the darkest parts of that nation’s soul."  Ambassador Li, your problems with Japan aren't black and white like in a fictional story.  Japan hasn't been a mature adult addressing their views on legitimacy either though.  These problems stem from China's and Japan's incapability to recognize that their customs, philosophies, and histories are different.

How will this pan out?  Will Regina George or Cady Heron win?  At least fetch isn't happening.

http://thediplomat.com/2014/02/attention-china-and-japan-grow-up/

Germany in Burma/Myanmar

Myanmar/Burma is considered an outcast state because of their terrible human rights record.  For 49 years (1962-2011), the country was ruled by a totalitarian government that operated even with international sanctions.  The generals who were engulfed with power forced people to move, and work (children included).  Within the last three to four years, the government has made improvements to end an era of international abolishment.

German President Joachim Gauck plans to visit Myanmar after India.  According to Myanmar Times, "This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and Germany. Mr Gauck will become the first German president to visit Myanmar since Richard von Weizsäcker in 1986."

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/9452-germany-president-to-visit-myanmar.html