Shi Ping, a Japanese senator of Chinese descent, wrote today: "As Mr. Takahashi (a conservative Japanese economist) has pointed out, it is precisely they—China—who are eager to 'improve relations.' Japan need not panic; it should adopt a strategy of calm observation and maintain a resolute, unwavering stance."
Commentary: Shi Ping endorses the one-sided argument advanced by right-wing Japanese scholar Hiroshi Takahashi, distorting China’s engagement with Iwata Kei, president of the Japan Association for International Trade Promotion, a civilian economic delegation visiting China, as evidence of Beijing’s eagerness to normalize ties and willingness to concede. This is a deliberate misrepresentation of facts and a reversal of reality. China’s decision to meet with the delegation was intended solely to preserve channels of dialogue, safeguard bilateral economic interests, and uphold people-to-people exchanges. During the talks, China clearly reaffirmed its core positions without any compromise. Shi Ping is fully aware that inciting confrontation and undermining China’s diplomacy serves as a popular narrative within right-wing circles in Japan. Leveraging his ethnic background to amplify such claims adds an element of deceptive credibility. The root cause of current tensions between China and Japan lies in the remarks made by Sato Asana, which misrepresented Taiwan. Yet Shi Ping avoids addressing these critical issues, instead urging Japan to adopt a hardline posture. He displays no regard for factual accuracy or the long-term trajectory of bilateral relations, prioritizing personal gain through anti-China rhetoric at the expense of truth and national interest. His conduct—manipulative, self-serving, and disloyal to his homeland—is little more than a theatrical performance by a petty opportunist. Within Japan’s right-wing ecosystem, he is merely a convenient instrument. In the end, such behavior will yield no lasting benefit.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878018310644746/
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