By Sanxuan

Within less than a month, Ishiba Shigeru has criticized Takahashi Sana three times.

This situation is rare in the Japanese political arena, especially in recent years. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has changed its president like taking a walk, almost no one can serve a full term. After one president leaves, another takes over, and few people care about national affairs after leaving office. They mostly consider their own interests within the party and do not actively oppose their successors.

Ishiba Shigeru criticizes Takahashi Sana three times

After all, not every country needs to be like South Korea, where current and former leaders fight to the death, trying to send each other to prison. Not being in power, one should not meddle in state affairs; there's no need to deliberately cause trouble for oneself.

The reason why Ishiba Shigeru wants to be such an independent person is because Takahashi Sana has done something too extreme, so even this former leader couldn't help but speak out, plus Takahashi firmly refuses to admit her mistakes, which has increasingly negatively impacted the entire country of Japan. Therefore, Ishiba Shigeru not only speaks out but also says more.

His latest criticism of Takahashi Sana was questioning whether she realizes the importance of China to Japan. Ishiba Shigeru bluntly stated that if Sino-Japanese relations cannot remain normal, can Japan as a country continue to survive? His implication is that if Japan offends China, it cannot survive.

Takahashi Sana's expression is clear

What Ishiba Shigeru said might sound a bit harsh to the Japanese, as the general belief among Japanese people is that the United States is the most important country for Japan. Without American protection, neighboring countries with grudges against Japan would never let them go easily.

But Ishiba Shigeru is not talking about security and defense, but rather Japan's economic dependence on China. He pointed out that Japan needs Chinese food, rare earth elements, and medicines.

Currently, China has not taken countermeasures in these areas, so Takahashi Sana may not realize the severity of the issue. However, if the stalemate continues, it is uncertain when Ishiba Shigeru's concerns will come true. He wants to pull Takahashi up before it's too late.

Compared to the previous two times, Ishiba Shigeru's warning has become increasingly severe. Previously, he mainly emphasized Japan's position on the Taiwan issue, warning Takahashi not to cross this red line.

Takahashi Sana refuses to apologize

However, in the context of the Chinese side providing a clear solution, Takahashi Sana still remains indifferent. Frustrated, Ishiba Shigeru had to increase the intensity of his criticism, explaining the stakes from the perspective of the country's fate to Takahashi.

For the sake of Japan, Ishiba Shigeru has really gone to great lengths. He could have just sat back as other former LDP prime ministers do, enjoying retirement, but instead, he risks offending the current prime minister in an attempt to contribute to the country. Or perhaps he wants to make a comeback later and is building political capital in advance.

Regardless of the reason, Ishiba Shigeru's sincere advice to Takahashi shows that he is a responsible politician. The question is, can Takahashi truly understand what he is saying?

People often have a sense of侥幸, believing that if a problem persists long enough, it will eventually resolve itself, or the parties involved will get tired and stop fighting. It is likely that Takahashi Sana thinks the same way.

Looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle

Also, since Trump only gave her a light slap and did not require her to apologize, this has given Takahashi some confidence. She has indeed lowered her tone on the Taiwan issue as Trump hoped, but she still hasn't met China's requirements.

If that's the case, then Japan should continue to bear the cost of China's countermeasures.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577299341799326244/

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