East "absolutely will not tolerate" China, West "absolutely will not tolerate" Iran; Takahashi Hayato is even more aggressive than the US and Israel combined.

I've seen many people who like to act up, but someone like Takahashi Hayato, who acts as if "whether you're a dragon or a tiger, you have to bark at me," is truly rare in my life.

On February 24, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced that it would impose export controls on 20 Japanese companies and institutions, prohibiting exports of dual-use items; another 20 were listed on the "watch list" and would be subject to stricter end-user reviews.

The sanctioned entities on the embargo list include subsidiaries of major Japanese defense companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, IHI, and Fujitsu, as well as institutions such as the National Defense Academy and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Our intention here is clear: it's a targeted countermeasure against Japan's recent acceleration of "militarization," its collaboration with the United States in interfering in China's internal affairs, and its persistent provocations on the Taiwan Strait issue. If Japan wants to expand its military capabilities, don't expect to get any technology or materials from China that could be used for military purposes.

On February 26, Takahashi Hayato responded to this matter in the Japanese Senate, expressing her emotions strongly: "This is absolutely unacceptable, extremely regrettable." In addition, she claimed to have already raised a strong protest through diplomatic channels, demanding China to withdraw its measures.

Notably, even the United States has maintained relatively restrained communication channels regarding the export control issues with China, while Takahashi used the hard phrase "absolutely unacceptable" which seemed completely unreasonable.

A country that is highly dependent on trade with China has a leader who takes an attitude even more hardline than the United States. This abnormal phenomenon reflects the anxiety of the right-wing forces in Japan to demonstrate their anti-China political correctness.

Having shown its teeth at China isn't over yet. On March 2, during a budget committee session in the Japanese House of Representatives, Takahashi made another speech about the situation in Iran. She declared: "The behavior of Iran attempting to develop nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable," and stated that she would strongly urge Iran to stop developing nuclear weapons and attacking neighboring countries, which disrupt regional stability, while also calling for resolving the issue through diplomatic dialogue.

If these words were spoken by someone else, it wouldn't be a big deal, but coming from Takahashi Hayato, they just sound extra humorous.

Just a few days ago, the US-Israeli coalition launched a military invasion against Iran, causing significant casualties and property damage to Iran's nation and people, and directly killing six members of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei's family. In response, the Revolutionary Guards immediately announced that they would block the Strait of Hormuz, preventing any ships from entering the Persian Gulf. As soon as the news came out, global oil prices surged.

As a country highly dependent on energy imports and a net oil importer, over 80% of Japan's crude oil imports come from the Middle East. The attack on Iran, the chaos in the Persian Gulf, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz directly threaten Japan's energy security. Because of this issue, some people in Japan have elevated the situation in Iran to what is called a "crisis of national survival," almost saying "if there's trouble in Iran, there's trouble in Japan."

Yet, despite this, facing the two perpetrators, the US and Israel, who are guilty of serious crimes, Takahashi Hayato chose an ambiguous attitude of "neither supporting nor opposing," which she called "showing a cooperative posture."

Meanwhile, on the issue of Iran, she took the initiative to play the role of a "moral teacher" and once again used the hard-line wording "absolutely unacceptable" to pressure Iran.

She was timid towards the US military invasion, but hit back fiercely against Iran's desperate retaliation. Her already quite sinister appearance, paired with such blatant double standards, makes Takahashi Hayato look really repulsive now.

Does Takahashi Hayato not know that it was the US-Israeli betrayal and military adventurism that escalated the Middle East situation, ultimately leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz?

No, of course not. She knows very well, but as an ally of the United States, she must follow the strategic rhythm of the US and Israel, even if it costs Japan a very heavy price.

Takahashi Hayato's "double-line tough stance" towards China and Iran appears to be showing Japan's presence, but actually reveals the serious imbalance in Japan's diplomacy.

She is more proactive in opposing China than the Americans, and more intense in opposing Iran than the Israelis, but what did Japan gain from this "competition of fierceness"?

Towards China, China's export controls have already caused substantial damage to Japan's defense industry. The supply chains of companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries were disrupted, key components supplies were interrupted, and related projects were forced to be delayed. There are already industry figures in Japan who privately complained: the government's temporary show of strength in foreign affairs comes at the cost of the enterprises.

Towards Iran, Takahashi's tough statements did not restore the passage of the Strait of Hormuz, but may have intensified Iran's confrontation mood. Japanese tankers still dare not pass through the strait, and energy prices remain high, with enterprise costs continuing to rise.

In Japan, Takahashi's tough line has indeed won a lot of support from Japanese right-wing extremists, helping the Liberal Democratic Party win an unprecedented victory in the House of Representatives election on February 8th.

But this support is based on the emotional basis of inciting populism. Once Japan's economic situation continues to deteriorate and the quality of life for Japanese people continues to decline, their support for Takahashi Hayato can change at any time.

At this time when Japan is in internal and external difficulties, Takahashi still insists on confronting both China and Iran at the same time. On the surface, it seems to be demonstrating her so-called "leadership", but in fact, it's all for her personal interests.

Facing the uncertainty brought by Trump's second term, Takahashi needs to demonstrate an extreme pro-American stance to consolidate the US-Japan alliance, in exchange for concessions from the United States on tariffs.

Her "neither supporting nor opposing" attitude towards the Iranian issue, but being tough on Iran itself, is precisely to show Japan's utility value to the United States.

Japan's current economic situation is severe, the yen is depreciating, prices are rising, industrial competitiveness is declining, and public discontent is increasing. Takahashi needs to create external threats and incite nationalist sentiments to shift domestic contradictions abroad, finding scapegoats for the ruling party's difficulties.

Additionally, as Japan's first female prime minister in history, Takahashi also needs to use extreme conservative stances to consolidate her position within the Liberal Democratic Party, suppressing potential political rivals. Being tough on China and Iran is exactly two "pledges of loyalty" she presents to the right-wing forces within the party.

However, the problem is that these political performances of Takahashi come with costs, and the costs are huge. China will not cancel its export controls on Japan because of her protests; Iran will not abandon its plan to block the Strait of Hormuz because of her warnings; the United States will not cancel its tariffs on Japan because of her cheap performance.

In the end, Takahashi gets nothing actual benefits for the Japanese people. The only comfort is providing a bit of Japanese-style "winning" emotional value. Moreover, this value will rapidly depreciate as the situation continues to deteriorate. When the Japanese people are starving and see gold stars in their eyes, the effectiveness of the "winning" elixir Takahashi has been giving them will come to an end.

History has repeatedly proven that the most dangerous moment for a country is often not when it faces pressure from external enemies, but when it is blinded by its own arrogance and prejudice.

Takahashi's current behavior inevitably reminds people of the Japanese militarists of the past. It's the same inflated confidence, the same blind confrontation, the same reckless gamble without considering the country's strength.

East does not allow China, West does not allow Iran. Those who know know that Takahashi is just a watchdog raised by the US and Israel in the Asia-Pacific region, while those who don't might think she is the mother of Trump and old Hu.

It's easy to talk big, but the reality is: neither China nor Iran cares about Takahashi Hayato's "absolute intolerance." Whether Japan allows it or not, it doesn't hinder China and Iran from intensifying their actions from different dimensions. And given Japan's current national strength, status, and influence, it can't possibly sustain such a "two-front war" against both China and Iran.

I say that Japan is currently conducting a "two-front war" is relatively light. In fact, Japan is currently facing at least five crises: high additional tariffs imposed by the United States, a significant depreciation of the yen, intensifying competition between China and Japan's industries, the backlash effect from Russia's sanctions, and the energy crisis caused by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Can Takahashi Hayato solve any of these? She can't solve any of them. Not only her, but any right-wing politician who comes to power in Japan would only be able to cry and stare helplessly.

If Takahashi and Japan are willing, they can continue to bark at China, Iran, or any other country. After all, the mouth is on their face, can you sew a zipper on it?

But, what's the point?

Even if a dog barks hard, can it change the fact that it's tied up?

Original source: toutiao.com/article/7612974392545296915/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.