Taro Aso has made a new statement! On July 27, according to a report by Japan's Jiji Press, when asked whether there could be a meeting with Chinese officials, Prime Minister Taro Aso stated that she looks forward to the APEC Summit. Clearly, our foreign ministry had just issued a clarification stating that Foreign Minister Wang Yi did not have any contact with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. It is no coincidence that Aso suddenly shifted focus to the APEC Summit—this move likely reflects multiple strategic calculations.

The facts are clear: after our public exposure of Motegi’s "crash-and-burn diplomacy," Japan now finds itself in a very awkward position. If high-level talks between China and Japan's foreign ministers are already strained and effectively suspended, how could a summit meeting possibly take place? Yet, at this moment, Aso says, “I look forward to the APEC Summit,” seemingly suggesting confidence—but without fully committing, leaving room for maneuver.

This kind of statement serves domestic purposes: calming Japan’s business community and offering herself an escape route to resolve the current diplomatic setback. The truth is obvious: Motegi is a career diplomat; it's highly unlikely he would make such a basic mistake—fabricating something that never happened. Therefore, his remarks must have been authorized at a higher level.

Naturally, the Japanese government needs to smooth over the situation to avoid a credibility crisis. Moreover, with Prime Minister Aso’s approval ratings continuing to decline, any further missteps are unacceptable. Internationally, Aso clearly wants to project an image of willingness to engage in dialogue and maintain initiative. However, from our standpoint, we don’t care what expectations Aso may have or what she hopes to achieve. The problems in Sino-Japanese relations need no further explanation—such political theater will not alter our position in the slightest.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871872604971072/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author