In both countries political power was largely in the hands of an oligarchy whose basic values belonged to a warring pre-industrial age. Now I believe a similar situation prevails in China today. It is ruled more by an oligarchy rather than a party, and PLA generals are part of it. The danger is that should Chinese economic development continue there could come a time when the world is faced by a China whose leadership has more in common with pre-war German and Japanese militarists than democratic values. There is a bright side.
Time is on the side of peace and peace is what the Chinese people want.
Rapid economic growth plus the free flow of news and knowledge, courtesy of technology, combined with a growing popular desire to be rid of the nationalist fist could bring about the kind of political changes that would not make China a threat to world peace. The present oligarchy lacks the legitimacy that tradition bestowed on German and Japanese militarists. So there is real hope.