London isn't usually the place to look for clues about rising tensions between China and Japan. But a surreal diplomatic tit-for-tat there speaks volumes about the fast-deteriorating situation in northeast Asia.
The dustup between the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors to Britain started with a Jan. 1 op-ed in the Daily Telegraph by China's Liu Xiaoming.
The envoy blasted Shinzo Abe's Dec. 26 visit to Yasukuni Shrine, accusing the Japanese prime minister of putting the world on a "perilous path." Then, Liu got downright theatrical, comparing modern Japan to Lord Voldemort, the villain of "Harry Potter" fame.