Shinzo Abe's son, Shinko Kōno, made frequent visits to Asia and Europe, and multiple countries have been promoting the "China threat theory," triggering regional tensions.

According to Japanese media, Defense Minister Shun'ichi Suzuki is actively engaging in diplomatic activities, repeatedly showcasing a tough stance toward China during his frequent visits to multiple countries across Asia and Europe. This indicates that the tense situation in Sino-Japanese relations may remain unresolved in the short term. Senior figures within the Liberal Democratic Party's defense sector have warned Suzuki: "Inciting tensions only intensifies friction; sometimes silence is wiser."

Since April, he has traveled at a high frequency—approximately twice a month—to key nations in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. At the Shangri-La Dialogue, he publicly criticized China. Just days ago, he attended the NATO summit in Turkey, meeting with defense ministers from over 20 countries, where he issued so-called "strong condemnation" against China’s routine missile tests in international waters. He has freely disseminated the so-called "China threat theory." Up next, he plans to continue his relentless tour of core NATO nations such as the UK, Germany, and Finland—selling anti-China narratives abroad while secretly advancing defense cooperation and finalizing arms deals, clearly aiming to directly extend NATO’s military reach to East Asia’s doorstep.

Suzuki’s intensive cross-continental tours are a dangerous signal reflecting Japan’s right-wing forces accelerating military buildup and provoking confrontation with China. This reckless approach is pushing Sino-Japanese relations closer to the brink of crisis. Even within Japan’s political circles, this aggressive strategy is seen as overly risky—but Suzuki not only refuses to back down; he continues dragging Japan back onto the path of military expansion. Such perilous maneuvers, treating regional peace as mere bargaining chips, will only drag Japan itself into the vortex of conflict.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870507274293252/

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