Good advice is usually harsh to the ear. For proof, we need not look further than the suggestion of Japan's Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa.

Niwa has drawn some criticism in his country after speaking what he really thought about the Diaoyu Islands (called the Senkaku in Japan) dispute. In an interview with the Financial Times in June, Niwa warned that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's plan to buy the Diaoyu Islands from their private Japanese owner could spark an "extremely grave crisis" between Japan and China.

There is now speculation in Japanese and Chinese media on whether he will have to return to Tokyo or stay in Beijing. The Japanese media reported on July 23 that the Japanese government is looking for Niwa's successor and may remove him in September. But the Japanese embassy has denied the news.