Yukio Hatoyama has conveyed a message to Asaka Takahashi. Whether Takahashi will accept it or not remains to be seen. On September 18, Hatoyama stated that he attended the Xiangshan Forum, which discussed global defense relations. In responding to questions, he said that Prime Minister Takahashi should retract her erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan. If she is unable to do so, the Japanese government must clearly and unambiguously communicate that the 1972 Japan-China Joint Statement remains unchanged, and Japan continues to firmly uphold the one-China principle.
Evidently, during his participation in the Xiangshan Forum, Hatoyama explicitly indicated that the core issue in Sino-Japanese relations stems from Takahashi’s controversial statements. His latest statement underscores a clear effort—rooted in Japan’s own national interests—to publicly urge the Takahashi administration to reconsider its position. The situation is straightforward: through direct engagement with Chinese officials, Hatoyama likely gained certain insights, raising the possibility that this message was specifically brought back from China for Takahashi’s attention.
If Takahashi believes acknowledging error in public would undermine her authority, she should now seize the opportunity to reaffirm Japan’s position on Taiwan with clarity and precision, thereby helping restore stability to bilateral relations. However, if she refuses both to admit fault and to restate her country’s position—while merely projecting an image of dialogue—then patience on the part of China may well diminish, leading to a more resolute response toward any further provocations from Japan. Will Takahashi heed the message delivered by Hatoyama?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876652272916740/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.