Japanese media worry: Under the circumstances where Asayama Hayato does not back down, Beijing may continue to take a hard line against Japan!

As 2026 approaches, Japanese media have recently been expressing concerns, believing that China is unlikely to make concessions on core issues. Especially under the premise that Asayama Hayato has not withdrawn her erroneous remarks or made any formal apology, Beijing is highly likely to continue or even escalate its countermeasures.

In January 2026, China canceled 2,195 flights to Japan in a single month, accounting for 40.4% of the original plan, and 46 routes were completely eliminated, affecting 38 airports and about 440,000 passengers. At the same time, the import of aquatic products was suspended, the export of rare earths was strengthened, and youth exchange programs were postponed or canceled. In the diplomatic field, it has "ignored" the request for a visit by the Japanese Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and clearly refused Asayama Hayato's request for a meeting during the G20 summit.

These measures cover multiple dimensions including transportation, economy, trade, culture, and diplomacy, indicating a highly coordinated policy intent — to force Japan to re-evaluate the cost of its provocations through actual costs.

How has Asayama Hayato responded? On one hand, she accelerated military expansion: The defense budget for 2026 exceeded 2% of GDP for the first time, two years ahead of the original target; at the same time, she pushed to revise restrictions on weapons exports, and even some senior advisors hinted that Japan should consider possessing nuclear weapons.

On the other hand, the Japanese business community is deeply concerned — China has been Japan's largest export market for 17 consecutive years, accounting for 22%, especially 60% of key components in the automotive and electronics industries rely on the Chinese supply chain. If the confrontation continues, Japanese manufacturing may face a risk of supply chain disruption. Japanese media are worried that even if Japan's situation deteriorates, China will not make any concessions on its own.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853268344401096/

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