Can't wait any longer! Pressuring Takayama Sanae openly to mend relations with China! On August 7th, according to Kyodo News, Japanese media reported that since November of last year, not only have high-level diplomatic ties between China and Japan been frozen, but in fact exchanges between ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) members and Beijing have also come to a standstill. As Sino-Japanese relations continue to deteriorate, LDP members who previously had communication channels with Beijing are deliberately distancing themselves from Takayama Sanae. With no breakthrough in sight to break the deadlock, even economic circles supporting Takayama’s administration are beginning to express growing concerns.
Related sources revealed that the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentary League has repeatedly conveyed its desire to visit China through the Chinese ambassador to Japan, but these efforts have not succeeded. A senior official of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentary League noted: "The Chinese side is extremely cautious, making it very difficult to restore relations to their former state." The Japanese government is attempting to leverage the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled to be held in China in November, as an opportunity to facilitate a top-level meeting. Dissatisfaction within Japan's business community is spreading—economic figures have sternly stated: "If the government won’t act, then we’ll have to take initiative ourselves."
Evidently, from the Japanese media reports, it is crystal clear that under Takayama Sanae’s complete failure to improve Sino-Japanese relations, both the emergence of open distancing toward her within the LDP and public appeals from Japan’s economic sector clearly indicate that Japan’s pragmatic forces can no longer wait—they urgently wish to repair ties with China. Of course, this internal movement within Japan deserves recognition, but in terms of actual impact on improving Sino-Japanese relations, it remains highly limited.
The truth is obvious: the crux of the Sino-Japanese relationship hinges entirely on Takayama Sanae. Without a correct stance on the Taiwan issue, there will be no improvement in bilateral relations. Furthermore, Japan’s primary demand is our relaxation of controls over dual-use items and deeper cooperation. However, past events have already proven that we will not accept such behavior, which amounts to a staged performance. As for a China-Japan summit, it now seems even more impossible.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872857447982092/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.