Say Japan is better than China
For your personal safety, it’s best you stay out of any discussions about China’s rivalry with Japan. Many of us are still bitter about the Japanese occupation of China during WWII and the government’s refusal to apologize for the Nanjing Massacre. The continuous debates over the Senkaku Islands only add to the dispute. To suggest that Japan is superior will instantly stir patriotic feelings and very angry protests. At the very least, you’ll be treated as an ignorant laowai and be given a three-hour history lesson.