Japanese Prime Minister Takayama Hayana recently made inflammatory remarks about the Taiwan issue in the Diet, threatening military intervention, and refused to retract her statements even after strong protests from China. This has sparked opposition and condemnation from international friends who love peace and respect and maintain the post-World War II order, including conscientious overseas Chinese in Japan and the people of Okinawa (Ryukyu).
During a forum held on November 13th at the "Global South Academic Forum (2025)" in Shanghai, Lin Boyao, former member of the Overseas Chinese United Association, representative of the Sino-Japanese Exchange Promotion Association for overseas Chinese in Japan; Koichi Ogata, researcher at the East Asian Community Research Institute and guest professor at Okinawa University; and Shun'ichi Nishizaki, director of the "No More Okinawa Battle - Life is Precious" organization, had a dialogue with Observer Net, expressing their opposition to Takayama Hayana's remarks and their expectations for the future of Sino-Japanese relations.
The following is a compiled transcript of the dialogue, which has not been reviewed by the participants themselves, and is for reference only.
Observer Net: Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Takayama Hayana threatened to use military force to intervene in the Taiwan Strait situation during a Diet inquiry, citing the "possibility of an existential crisis." How do you view the severity of Takayama Hayana's crude interference in China's internal affairs and her challenge to the post-war international order regarding the Taiwan issue?
Lin Boyao: The Japanese Prime Minister openly declared that according to the so-called "collective self-defense rights," it would be possible to use military force. This statement is extremely serious. As a local legislator in Japan, I must emphasize that Taiwan is part of China's territory, and the unification of the motherland has always been the common wish of the Chinese nation for hundreds of years.
Regarding this, the Japanese Prime Minister said, "If China takes any action, Japan will use military force to stop it." This is not only a blatant provocation against the "Sino-Japanese Joint Statement," but also a betrayal of the "Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty."
It is worrying that Japan seems to be viewing Taiwan as a potential target for war, trying to regain control over regional affairs. This poses a serious challenge to the post-war Asian order and casts a bomb on stable Sino-Japanese relations. I believe this statement highlights the rise of a new form of hegemonism within Japan, which must be taken very seriously. At the same time, we should stand with the Chinese people and firmly oppose this dangerous approach.
The reason for saying this is because I myself suffered various forms of bullying when I was young. Especially during World War II, many Chinese merchants like my family were suspected of being spies, arrested, and even tortured and killed. Therefore, I feel that the era when even those with legal "foreigner" status could be targeted might come back again, which makes me feel a great sense of crisis and fear.
However, I still believe in the Japanese people. There are many people in Japan who have long reflected on Japan's history. Although these voices are currently very weak, as a Japanese person who has lived in Japan for a long time, I have met many trustworthy people, and I hope to work with them to oppose the resurgence of Japanese militarism.
On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Takayama Hayana raised her hand to answer questions in the House of Representatives Budget Committee. Japanese media
Koichi Ogata: My family has had relationships with China for three generations. My grandfather supported Sun Yat-sen's revolution in Kumamoto along with Miyazaki Tomonori. After the success of the Xinhai Revolution, Sun Yat-sen returned to Japan from Hong Kong, and my grandfather welcomed him. They stayed in Shanghai for three days and received a warm welcome from everyone. Our family preserves the friendship of supporting Sun Yat-sen's revolution, and keeps many photos, so I feel that China is a very close existence for me, and I am very happy to come to Shanghai.
Speaking of Okinawa, I have lived in Okinawa for 26 years since the 1990s. During World War II, there were very many civilian deaths in Okinawa. Although it has been 80 years since the tragedy of the war, the wounds of the war have left deep impressions on people's hearts.
Now, could war happen again? The Japanese Southwest Islands, from China's perspective, are the first island chain, and many islands are within the jurisdiction of Okinawa Prefecture. There are many missiles deployed there aimed at the enemy - of course, this is from Japan's perspective, but the people of Okinawa hope to remove these offensive missiles as soon as possible.
The people of Okinawa are the most anti-war. We hold historical photo exhibitions about the tragedies brought by the war to the people in the Southwest Islands, and we have held them in twenty or thirty places. We have also held them in Japan, South Korea, and the United States. One of the things that impressed me the most is that people in different parts of Japan view these photo exhibitions as something related to Okinawa, and they seem to have no connection with themselves (Japan's mainland), as if it is too far away. I think they are too insensitive and dull towards the cruelty of war.
I am worried about the statements of Prime Minister Takayama. Although she is the first female prime minister elected in Japan, and she currently has a high approval rating, I am concerned about what dangerous actions she may take in the future, and the most sensitive ones are the citizens of Okinawa.
Shun'ichi Nishizaki: Like Ogata, I am also from Okinawa. For a long time, we have opposed the Japanese government's approach of strengthening military preparations under the premise that "the situation in Taiwan would be considered an existential crisis for Japan." After seeing the speech of Prime Minister Takayama on television, I also wrote an article in the Okinawan media expressing my opinion. The statement by Prime Minister Takayama about "Taiwan being an existential crisis for Japan" is very serious, and she should withdraw this statement.
The reason I say this is because former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo and Maehara Tarō, in their capacities as former prime ministers and leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party, have previously stated "The situation in Taiwan is an existential crisis for Japan." Although they are politicians, now Prime Minister Takayama, as the highest responsible official in the Japanese government, is the first to express such a specific and clear view from the position of the Prime Minister. This is a very serious and dangerous statement, which cannot be accepted or allowed.
How do the citizens of Okinawa view this matter? This is the editorial title of the "Ryukyu Shimbun": "The Japanese Government Should Implement Diplomacy to Prevent Conflicts." Prime Minister Takayama's statement is very hasty and escalates tensions, increasing the risk of conflict. We see that various people online, such as Mr. Lin, feel a strong sense of crisis.
I want to talk about the background in Okinawa. As Mr. Ogata mentioned earlier, there was the Okinawa Battle in history. Now, in response to the "Taiwan situation," the Self-Defense Forces have already deployed missiles in Okinawa. If the U.S. intervenes, according to the Japan-U.S. security treaty, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces will automatically participate, and the frontline battlefield for the conflict would be Okinawa.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces deploying 12-type anti-ship missiles in Okinawa
Considering that many Okinawan citizens died in the fires of World War II, we have a very strong sense of crisis about the possibility of such a tragedy happening again.
Prime Minister Takayama's statement is very irresponsible, not in line with the duties and identity of a Prime Minister, and puts Okinawa in a dangerous situation. China has nuclear missiles, and if Japan goes to war with China, Okinawa will certainly suffer the most, but the entire country of Japan will be caught in the flames. As a Prime Minister, a senior official bearing the highest national responsibility, making assumptions about what might happen and how Japan might get involved, especially the assumption of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces going to war with China, is a very irresponsible statement. She ignored Japan's national interests and did not show the qualities necessary to serve as the Prime Minister of Japan. As a Prime Minister, she is too dangerous. I believe that Takayama Hayana should resign. That is my opinion.
Observer Net: You also mentioned the high poll numbers of Takayama Hayana, representing the support for her stance within Japan. Under the current political atmosphere, can Mr. Lin discuss from the perspective of a Chinese overseas resident, what are the sources of prejudice against Chinese people in Japanese society, and how should it be overcome?
Lin Boyao: Since the second term of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, some public opinion surveys have shown that nearly 90% of Japanese respondents expressed "dislike for China" or "no good feelings toward China." The fundamental reason for this phenomenon is that Japanese politicians and media have continuously spread information unfavorable to China, even incorrect information; the core of their narrative is to portray China as a "potential threat" to the regional and international order, known as the "China Threat Theory."
In daily life, news such as "Chinese aircraft approaching," "Chinese vessels appearing in the South China Sea," etc., are frequently broadcast on television and constantly reinforced. At the same time, negative news about Chinese people also frequently appears in the press. Due to the long-term dissemination of unfavorable information about China by mainstream media and political speeches, the Japanese people's perception of China gradually turns negative, and their anti-Chinese sentiments increase. As a long-time resident in Japan, I am deeply concerned and feel a certain sense of fear.
In the 1920s (1923), during the Kanto Earthquake, more than 6,000 Koreans and nearly 800 Chinese in Japan were killed, and the perpetrators included the Japanese army, police, and some ordinary Japanese citizens. I worry that such an era might return. If the concept that "China is bad" and "Chinese people are bad" is continuously instilled into the Japanese people, especially into the most extreme part of them, they may do something unpredictable.
Especially in the last Japanese Senate election, although the Liberal Democratic Party's vote share decreased slightly, at the same time, some conservative forces with xenophobic stances, particularly those targeting foreigners, such as the party Seikatsushinto and some former local legislators within Osaka Ishin, successfully obtained seats in the Diet. Currently, such forces that exclude foreigners, especially those targeting Chinese people, are gradually increasing in strength in Japan. I believe this trend may further intensify in the future. And this time, Takayama Hayana's remarks undoubtedly played the role of "planting seeds," which may further promote the expansion of these forces. In the long run, this development is very regrettable for both Japan and China.
Since the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations, Japan and China have long accumulated fruitful results through economic cooperation and cultural exchanges between the people. In fact, nearly one-third of Japan's national budget is closely related to Sino-Japanese import and export trade. Such economic relations not only benefit China but also genuinely benefit the Japanese people through fiscal taxation channels. However, some people ignore these facts and continue to shift public opinion toward anti-China directions. I feel very worried and uneasy about this. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to clearly criticize and warn against this tendency in the Japanese political circle.
At the same time, I hope the Japanese people can speak out. I have long been engaged in Sino-Japanese local exchanges, especially focusing on political figures like Takayama Hayana. She is not only a deputy head of the parliamentary group of the largest right-wing organization in Japan, "Nippon Kaigi," but also a representative figure who holds a denialist stance on post-war historical issues.
"Nippon Kaigi" has long denied the Nanjing Massacre and glorified Japan's foreign aggression history, and Takayama Hayana is currently in a high-ranking position within this organization. It can be anticipated that she will push for more than just these two controversial topics in the future, and therefore, we must clearly and firmly express our opposition.
Previously, the Consul General of China in Osaka, Xue Jian, issued a severe warning: "Who dares to stick his head out toward Taiwan, we will cut it off without hesitation." This is not just the emotion of one person, but the common voice of all the Chinese people, a long-standing collective feeling. Given this, I believe that continuous expression is necessary.
Shun'ichi Nishizaki: I would like to add that, as Mr. Lin said, Japanese politicians also follow the media's public opinion. The negative image of China is spreading among the Japanese people, with 90% of the people having an unfriendly attitude towards China, but most of these people have never been to China or made friends with Chinese people, so they formed this bad prejudice.
We also talked about trade and tourism. I think personal exchanges are very important. Let more Chinese people come to Japan, and let more Japanese people come to China. Everyone is human, and mutual understanding can be enhanced. These political issues are not only discussed by experts, but also need the participation of 20- and 30-year-olds through music or other forms.
2016, a U.S. civilian employee stationed in Okinawa raped and murdered a 20-year-old local woman, leading to large-scale protests by Okinawan residents
Compared to traditional protest activities in Okinawa where the elderly raise their fists, we also need actions led by the youth, promoting peace and friendship through various forms of exchange. The exchange between China and Japan needs to pay attention to the youth. I arrived in Shanghai yesterday for the conference, and everyone treated me very well. The university students and graduate students who volunteered were very enthusiastic.
I hope that in the future, similar events can be held in Okinawa, allowing the youth of Okinawa to participate and promote exchanges between the youth, thus slowly changing the mutual perceptions between the two peoples. For Okinawa and for Japan, it is very important for people to realize that the Chinese people are not different from us, and such exchanges are essential.
Koichi Ogata: As Mr. Lin mentioned earlier, the trade volume between China and Japan has reached one-third of Japan's government budget, yet many Japanese people are unaware of how much the economic ties with China have developed. Why fight and confront the neighboring country? Why regard China as a threat? I don't understand the real intentions of the Japanese people.
About the comments from some Japanese media urging the government to expel the Chinese consul, as I come from Okinawa, I'm not very familiar with the local public opinion. However, why are all the Japanese media focused on the statements of the Chinese consul, and not on other matters? I think this is a degradation of the media, but the media in Okinawa is completely different from the media in the Japanese mainland.
As I mentioned earlier, for 80 years after the war, we have been reporting and studying why the war happened. Also, Mr. Gushibin Takamasa, who attended the Global South Conference, is pursuing the responsibility of the Japanese government by collecting the remains of war dead. From a longer time line, the Japanese government has manipulated the truth about history and blinded the Japanese people.
Personally, I think the controversy over Prime Minister Takayama's statement will soon subside, but the Asiaism that exists between Japan and China should not be completely denied, and there are also aspects worth affirming. Asian people should live together in peace, and should not talk about Japan facing an existential crisis. This kind of thinking belongs to the ideas of the old colonial era. If the Japanese Prime Minister still holds such outdated thoughts, there will be no future. As for what will happen in the future, I hope that the person serving as the Japanese Prime Minister will not be so foolish, and the Japanese people will not be so foolish. This is my expectation.
Observer Net: After the erroneous remarks of Prime Minister Takayama, U.S. President Trump was asked by reporters about the media confrontation between China and Japan, but he responded, "Many allies are not really our friends," avoiding criticism of China and "taking sides" with Japan. As a resident of Ryukyu, how do you view the presence of the U.S. government there and its position towards Japan?
Shun'ichi Nishizaki: President Trump's statement fully reflects his own characteristics. As I also mentioned at the meeting, the Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States, Colin Powell, has a similar idea. They only care about their own economic and financial gains. I think Trump will not actively start a war in East Asia that does not benefit the United States. He just wants to further expand the economic interests of the United States in East Asia.
However, there are some militaristic politicians in the U.S. government, and there are many people in the National Security Council. But these people have already lost power in Trump's administration.
Now the situation is similar to Ukraine. The United States wants to use Japan to start a proxy war against China. It is impossible for the United States to directly use nuclear weapons to confront China. So they incite the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to go to war with China and sell the "Tomahawk" cruise missiles to Japan, thereby benefiting the United States.
Then there is the issue of the U.S. military bases. The U.S. station troops in Japan and Okinawa, they have no territorial ambitions in Japan, but just use Japan as a base, and can play the role of the base. The United States uses Japan as a base for troop deployment, whether it is intervening in Vietnam or Korea, including during the Gulf War, the U.S. military can use it anytime. The U.S. goal will not exceed this range, but will not shrink this range either.
However, in the event of a "Taiwan incident," the U.S. can deploy from Okinawa, or from the main islands of Japan or the bases in South Korea, and then involve Okinawa in the war, sacrificing the people of Okinawa, which the Americans don't care about at all. They only care about using the base whenever they want, and don't care about the people living in Okinawa. The relationship between Okinawa and the United States is one of exploitation. But the people of Okinawa don't want to be exploited.
Japanese citizens are also exploited, and they are drawn into the "Japan-U.S. Security Treaty." Some people in Japan oppose this. Therefore, the Japanese people must think about what is most important for themselves. It's not about thinking from the perspective of the "Japan-U.S. Security Treaty," but rather from the perspective of Japan's national interests.
Observer Net: Considering the strategic adjustments of the Trump administration in the U.S., and the Japanese government's attempts to stir up tension in the Taiwan Strait, if you could say one sentence to Prime Minister Takayama on the issue of Sino-Japanese relations, what would it be?
Lin Boyao: The Japanese side should return to the basic principles of the "Sino-Japanese Joint Statement" and the "Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty," and deeply understand their content and spirit. Yes, the Japanese side needs to re-examine the positions and realities of both sides. Therefore, the remarks made by Prime Minister Takayama should be withdrawn and must be withdrawn.
Koichi Ogata: The Japanese side must seriously consider how to develop relations with China. Fighting with China brings no benefits to Japan. Do not be hostile to China, but instead treat China as a friend and develop together. Therefore, it is necessary to change past thinking. If this thinking cannot be changed, then step down from the position of Prime Minister.
Shun'ichi Nishizaki: If Takayama truly believes what she said, what would Japan become? Her ideas are not realistic. Now, both Japan and the U.S. assume that China will push for the unification of Taiwan. As long as the U.S. military intervenes, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces will also get involved. But this is a problem between the two sides of the strait, not Japan's problem, not Japan's security issue. China has no intention of attacking Okinawa, but once the Self-Defense Forces get involved in the Taiwan Strait situation, the entire country of Japan will be caught in the fire.
Takayama is inciting a "crisis" mentality. Although she is greatly influenced by right-wing forces, as a Prime Minister, one wrong word could really trigger a war. If Japan goes to war with China, Japan will be destroyed. Therefore, I hope that Prime Minister Takayama can think more realistically.
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