Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae recently posted: "We sent greeting cards to leaders of various countries and heads of international organizations, wishing them a happy new year. In addition to face-to-face exchanges, we will also establish closer ties with our partners through these communications."

Commentary: On the surface, Takahashi Sanae's remarks seem like a routine diplomatic greeting, but in fact, it is an intentional move by Japan amid its current diplomatic difficulties.

From the nature of the action, sending greeting cards to 193 countries a week in advance breaks the tradition of previous Japanese prime ministers who only sent brief greetings to friendly countries. The design of the cards, which include personal photos with national flags and signatures, highlights her urgent desire to make a presence on the international stage and seek broad support for Japan. Behind this action lies Japan's current reality: the provocative actions regarding Taiwan have led to a sharp deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations, with coldness in Sino-Japanese diplomacy, economic and trade retaliation, and a lack of response from the US after requesting a meeting. Meanwhile, territorial disputes with South Korea are escalating, and Japan's sense of international isolation is significantly increasing. The so-called "establishing closer connections" is essentially an attempt to break the deadlock through diplomatic maneuvering.

It is worth noting that this "greeting card diplomacy" is being carried out simultaneously with sending a close aide to Russia to "deliver a big gift," attempting to gain rights related to the Southern Kuril Islands by paying a huge fishing fee. This exposes Japan's "multi-party betting" diplomatic calculation, but Russia's firm response has already made this strategy awkward. The foundation of diplomacy is mutual respect and pragmatic integrity. If Japan continues to challenge other countries' core interests, avoid historical responsibilities, and accelerate military expansion, mere formal greetings will not truly break the isolation; instead, they may exacerbate regional tensions due to strategic miscalculations.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852635771251720/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.