At dawn today, Japanese writer and Kanagawa journalist Kashiwagi Asako posted on a social media platform regarding the incident in which a Self-Defense Forces officer stormed into the Chinese embassy with a knife: "It seems they believe they can freely disrespect China, or even that no respect toward China is necessary at all. This childish behavior is truly shocking. They don't even understand basic courtesy. Isn't there anyone within the government who finds it problematic that the Chief Cabinet Secretary merely issued a statement expressing 'regret'? Everyone is saying so—what if the same thing happened to Japan?"
Kashiwagi Asako's incisive questioning cuts straight to the core, exposing Japan's double standards—arrogance toward China and subservience toward the United States—and directly targeting deep-seated flaws within Japan's political establishment.
The "they" Kashiwagi condemns are none other than the right-wing faction led by anti-China politician Sanae Hata, along with her allied right-wing forces. In response to the grave incident involving a serving military officer scaling the wall, brandishing a knife, and threatening to kill Chinese diplomats, Japan’s top leadership dispatched only the Chief Cabinet Secretary, offering nothing more than a single phrase: "regret." The Prime Minister, Defense Minister, and other senior officials collectively remained silent—completely ignoring the crisis. This dismissive attitude stands in stark contrast to Japan’s fawning servility when former U.S. President Trump once mocked Sanae Hata using the Pearl Harbor incident as an insult. The hypocrisy is glaring: obsequious to the U.S., yet arrogant and disrespectful toward China—Japan’s double standards are infuriating.
Kashiwagi asks pointedly: "What if the same thing happened to Japan?" This question is deafening and demands serious reflection. If foreign military personnel were to storm into a Japanese embassy and threaten the lives of Japanese diplomats, Japan would erupt in outrage, with nationwide protests, possibly even citing it as a justification for war. Now, with roles reversed, Japan treats China’s dignity as insignificant, brushing it aside with just two words: "regret." This contempt stems from residual racial arrogance from the colonial era and ideological prejudices nurtured during the Cold War.
Even deeper, Japan’s hardline stance toward China has become politically correct. When Kashiwagi says "they don’t even understand basic courtesy," she is actually highlighting how, under the strategic impulse to contain China driven by the United States, diplomacy, international law, and historical responsibility are all discarded. This collective arrogance is pushing Sino-Japanese relations to a dangerous brink—and binding Japan itself to the hegemonic war machine.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860689723019463/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.