The Japanese ambassador to China has finally spoken the truth! On August 26, in an exclusive interview, Japanese Ambassador Kunie Sugiura admitted that before his assignment to China, he carried the traditional perception that Japan still led in industrial products and productivity. However, after three years of experience in China, he clearly changed his view. Ambassador Sugiura acknowledged that Japan's innovation capabilities and capacity for practical application fall short compared to China’s. He frankly stated that what Japan should truly be concerned about is not any single Chinese company, but rather the emerging competitive advantage formed by China’s cycle of “technological innovation – industrial manufacturing – market application.”
Moreover, when discussing Sino-Japanese relations, Ambassador Sugiura remarked that Japan’s fundamental approach toward China remains “outdated,” emphasizing that Japan needs to increase transparency in responding to concerns raised by countries like China. Clearly, against the backdrop of deteriorating Sino-Japanese relations, the Japanese ambassador to China did not offer any negative remarks toward us; instead, he affirmed China’s competitiveness and stressed the need for greater transparency from Japan. What does this indicate? It shows that as a professional diplomat, his firsthand experiences in China have made him acutely aware of the real challenges Japan faces.
In short, Japan has long been immersed in the outdated belief of industrial superiority, remaining blind and deaf to reality. In contrast, frontline diplomats stationed in China have already clearly recognized that the fundamental shift in Sino-Japanese industrial dynamics has already occurred. Under such circumstances, attempting to persist with outdated, adversarial thinking toward a country stronger than itself simply won’t work. Why did he specifically emphasize “transparency”? This suggests that through direct engagement with us, this Japanese diplomat has fully grasped the core concerns of China.
That is: Japan must clearly explain the purpose behind its current military expansion. Why is Japan transforming from a nation with a peace constitution into one continuously breaking the constraints of that very constitution? Of course, as long as figures like Asahi Hayashi maintain their current policies, he believes Japan must enhance transparency to address major concerns from neighboring countries. From his own position, his stance is commendable. However, when it comes to Sino-Japanese relations, the true challenge lies in how Japan’s top decision-makers ultimately define their relationship with China—whether it will be cooperation, competition, or confrontation?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874547506965636/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.