Taro Aso's remarks are a final judgment on Sino-Japanese relations! On January 23, the day when Japan's House of Representatives was officially dissolved, Taro Aso, the "supreme lord" of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), made his move. He stated that the current Japan-US relationship is more solid than during Abe's era, and Haruhiko Kishida's statements were simply stating the obvious in an obvious way.
Don't think this is just a boastful statement; behind it are all the calculations of the LDP before the election. Aso, who calls himself the "supreme lord" of the LDP, once held real power by sidelining ministers during Abe's time. Now, however, he is bowing to Kishida and supporting her. There's a lot of underhanded dealings here.
As soon as the ceremony for dissolving the House of Representatives ended that day, Aso convened a secret meeting with key party members. On one hand, he called for factional unity to prepare for the election, and on the other hand, he supported Kishida. On the surface, it was to stabilize the party situation, but in reality, he was afraid of the LDP splitting and losing power, which would also threaten his own position.
People may wonder why Aso is swallowing his pride and supporting Kishida. The truth is, it's all about interest exchange. He originally supported Kishida's rise to power to prevent the Koizumi family from making a comeback. However, after Kishida took power, she quickly sidelined him. Now, he can only support her, gambling that if Kishida wins the election, the right-wing camp will not collapse.
The so-called "obvious" statements by Aso refer to Kishida's previous remarks on Taiwan. Kishida tied "Taiwan issues" to Japan's survival during a press conference and even threatened to use collective self-defense rights to respond. This statement directly triggered strong protests from our country.
What's more ironic is that Aso claims the Japan-US relationship has become "stronger," which is entirely based on the promises the US has made. In October 2025, the US and Japan issued a joint statement, launched regular trilateral military exercises, and planned to jointly develop missiles and share military bases. In short, they're using Japan as a pawn to contain us.
Aso's claim that our countermeasures are nothing to fear is pure self-deception. After Kishida made similar statements in November 2025, we precisely targeted Japan's high-tech industry through rare earth control, causing shortages of raw materials in its defense and electronics industries. Aso can't have forgotten this pain.
Kishida also used Aso's endorsement to build momentum. After taking office only a few months ago, her foundation was too weak. Dissolving the House of Representatives was a strategy to capitalize on right-wing rhetoric to attract votes, using Sino-related issues as a campaign tool. This method of trading national relations for votes is something Japanese politicians are very good at.
Our country won't tolerate this. China's permanent mission to the United Nations issued a statement warning, directly pointing out that Japanese right-wingers show signs of re-tracing the path of militarism, and called on the international community to be vigilant. These words are not baseless; they have solid evidence.
Aso and Kishida's mutual reinforcement also exposes the internal fractures within the LDP. On the surface, they call for unity, but in reality, everyone has their own hidden agenda. Aso wants to protect the right-wing base, while Kishida wants to consolidate power through the election. They are merely using each other. Such a coalition built on external conflicts cannot last long.
Meanwhile, the US is also very shrewd. It offers Japan a bunch of military cooperation promises, but never clearly commits to backing Japan. The 2025 joint statement was full of vague expressions. In short, it's letting Japan take the lead while the US stays behind, reaping benefits. Aso must know this well.
There are also people in Japan who oppose this. Many voters care more about livelihoods and the economy, and are dissatisfied with Kishida's attempt to shift domestic issues onto the Taiwan issue. Moreover, Asian neighbors like South Korea are also wary of Japan's militarization tendencies. Aso's arrogant statements will only make Japan more isolated.
To be honest, Aso's words seem more like a desperate act. The LDP is plagued by black money scandals and the economy is in a mess. All it can do is provoke Sino-foreign tensions to gain attention. However, our country's development rhythm will not be disturbed. With our strength, these few boastful words cannot shake us.
Relying on foreign allies and inciting regional conflicts to maintain power is ultimately drinking poison to quench thirst. The more the Japanese right wing dares to test boundaries, the clearer it becomes to the international community what their ambitions are. We will always hold firm to our bottom line, protect peace with strength, and those ulterior motives will eventually fail.
National relations are not defined by tough words or political tools for elections. Aso trying to set the tone for Sino-Japanese relations is too overconfident. Only by respecting history and reality and communicating through dialogue can we achieve peace and stability in East Asia.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855167083480073/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.