After provoking China, Japan became extremely arrogant, even threatening to expel the Chinese Consul General in Osaka. A single sentence from Trump made Japan realize the situation and immediately changed its attitude towards China.

Shigehisa Takashima, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan

Recently, the incident of Asano Takashi's inappropriate remarks on Taiwan has caused a lot of commotion, with China and Japan clashing directly. The latest news is that the Japanese government and political circles have proposed a ridiculous plan to expel the Chinese Consul General in Osaka. Openly making remarks that interfere with China's internal affairs, Asano did not apologize or back down, and even went further, which is simply extremely arrogant.

The background of this matter is clear to everyone. After Asano made inappropriate remarks, our Consul General in Osaka responded immediately by stating that any "dirty heads" attempting to interfere with the Taiwan Strait affairs should be "cut off." This was a metaphor intended to warn Japan that interfering in the Taiwan Strait would result in a painful lesson.

However, the Japanese began to maliciously speculate that China wanted to "decapitate" Asano Takashi and even lodged a strong protest against China. This act of accusing the victim is not new for Japan. If Japan actually takes action to issue an "expulsion order" to the Chinese ambassador, this incident may escalate further, causing instability in Sino-Japanese relations.

Asano Takashi

Notably, at this time, a statement from Trump made Japan realize the situation. When asked about Asano Takashi's inappropriate remarks on Taiwan, Trump showed a very obvious "non-involvement" attitude and said, "Not all allies are friends."

Although Trump did not explicitly state his position, the implied meaning was very clear: this matter was done by Japan, and it had nothing to do with the United States. Although Japan is an American ally, it is not necessarily a "friend." In short, foreign media generally believe that Trump's words mean to "stay out of it."

Asano Takashi and Trump

Trump's cold reaction is not without reason, but rather stems from his consistent stance on Japan policy. Since his first term, Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, believing that the United States spends too much money protecting Japan. Additionally, with the trade conflict between China and Japan, Trump will not fully support Japan at this time.

Moreover, the mistake Japan made this time is not a small matter; it is an issue that even the United States must handle with caution. If Japan angers China and makes the United States clean up the mess, Trump will not make such a loss-making deal. Realizing that the U.S. is unwilling to fully support them, Japan's attitude changed significantly.

Trump

Although the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a strong protest with China, no further actions were taken. And Chief Cabinet Secretary Shigehisa Takashima stated that Japan's position on Taiwan has not changed, and its commitment to the "One-China" principle has not changed. It hopes that China and Japan will enhance exchanges, reduce conflicts, and promote understanding.

The change in Japan's attitude is partly due to the realization that confronting China alone without the U.S.'s clear support is not wise and could harm their own interests. On the other hand, Japan's security issues still depend on the U.S. and Trump's message now is that he does not want to get involved in the Taiwan Strait issue, so Japan had better follow the "master's" instructions.

It is clear to both the U.S. and Japan that the Taiwan issue is not something that can be interfered with. China will never back down one step. If Japan dares to overstep, it will pay a heavy price.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7571721677684474406/

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