ETHNIC DISTANCE AS A FACTOR HINDERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINESE-JAPANESE RELATIONS (BASED ON THE ACTIVITIES OF UNIT 731)

World War II is a global catastrophe for humanity. The consequences of this event left their mark on citizens of different countries. The authors studied the "ethnic distance" of the Chinese and Japanese ethnic groups against the backdrop of World War II. It was determined that the main factor influencing the existing "post-conflict anxieties" of the Chinese is associated with the brutal research programs of the Japanese army, namely the activities of Unit 731 in China. The authors of the article are inclined to believe that Sino-Japanese relations will not be able to have positive dynamics due to the psychological mentality of Chinese citizens. The revealed facts of the research programs of Unit 731 are annually supplemented and made public by the Chinese side, films are released (the release of the work "731" is announced for July 2025), cultivating in the minds of the younger generation the prevention of a repetition of the past by curbing the spread of Japanese culture.