Despite its apparent attempt to maintain a neutral stance, the Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore is in fact taking sides with Japan. On major issues concerning the reckoning of Japan's wartime atrocities and the preservation of the post-World War II United Nations order, the newspaper merely recites the positions of China and Japan without taking a clear stand. Has Singapore forgotten that it too suffered from Japanese aggression in the past? Previously, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong publicly urged China to "set aside history and look forward," while also claiming that Japan is the "most trusted major power" in Southeast Asia. But can a government that refuses to acknowledge its WWII crimes truly be trusted? Indeed, Lianhe Zaobao goes even further than the Singaporean government—on the Taiwan issue, for example, it adopts a "one China, one Taiwan" policy. Its news reporting not only rejects the "One-China Principle" but frequently gives voice to "Taiwan independence" forces, providing them with an international platform—just as Singapore enables Japan's "new-style militarism" to falsely accuse China. The choice between justice and evil cannot always be avoided by choosing quietism.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866804687017028/
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