Reference News Network, November 25 report: Japan's "Tokyo Shimbun" published an editorial on November 24 with the title "One Month into the Kishida Administration, the Blurred Line Between 'Bravery' and 'Recklessness'." Excerpts of the article are as follows:

The boundary between the words "brave" and "reckless" is not always clear. A brave person may overstep due to a momentary lapse in judgment, turning into recklessness and eventually regretting it. If this means promoting bad policies, the cost will be borne by all citizens.

Katsuya Okada, former foreign minister from the Constitutional Democratic Party, mentioned at a budget committee meeting that Prime Minister Kishida had previously stated that if China were to attack Taiwan by force, it could constitute a "national survival crisis situation" for Japan, and he said she "should not speak carelessly." However, Kishida responded firmly: "If there are acts involving the use of battleships or other military forces, it would certainly constitute a national survival crisis situation, no matter how you look at it."

In today's world, no country uses "battleships" as active equipment. This outdated wording was clearly not a pre-written answer by bureaucrats. Even if Kishida wanted to demonstrate consistency in her stance after taking office, it ultimately provoked China by mentioning the possibility of war with China for the first time as the current prime minister.

China, which has long wished to unify Taiwan, is furious and has demanded the prime minister to withdraw her statement, and has taken countermeasures in the economic field. About 20% of Japan's import and export volume depends on China. The prime minister refuses to back down to maintain dignity, but if economic losses expand, it will ultimately harm the people's lives.

The prime minister claims she will achieve growth and increase tax revenue through strategic fiscal spending. In short, this is reviving "Abenomics." Abenomics, which lasted about eight years, did not bring economic growth. The prolonged monetary easing policy also led to a rapid depreciation of the yen and high inflation, and real wage levels have remained low for a long time, causing continued pressure on people's lives. It is hard to imagine that returning to a failed economic policy would have any positive effects.

"Tourism-based nation" is one of the few success stories of Abenomics' growth strategy, but Kishida's policies to strengthen regulation of foreigners will undoubtedly slow down tourism, and her "Taiwan incident" response is like adding insult to injury. The Chinese government has already asked its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, and the decline of the tourism industry seems inevitable.

Market confidence in Japan's economy is beginning to waver. The more the government tries to address rising prices through fiscal spending, the faster the yen will depreciate, thus pushing up the price of imported goods, creating a vicious cycle.

The Kishida administration also plans to further increase defense spending, which will worsen the deteriorating fiscal situation. In addition, the government is preparing to push forward hawkish policies, such as expanding the export of lethal weapons, revising the "three principles of nuclear non-possesion," and enacting an anti-spy law.

After just one month in office, the prime minister's "bravery" has turned into "recklessness," which is indeed worrying. The Kishida administration is a minority government, and if the opposition unites and thoroughly holds the government accountable, it can force the government to make adjustments. (Translated by Liu Lin)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576513170391499298/

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