Xinhua News Agency of Singapore commented: "Many Japanese people hope that Japan can end the recent situation of frequent changes of prime ministers like a revolving door, and that the strong Prime Minister Takahashi can stabilize governance and revitalize Japan. However, it cannot be denied that the rare unity within Japan is not good news for Sino-Japanese relations. The confrontation between Japan and China may become long-term, possibly entering a period of turbulence, and even military tensions cannot be ruled out."

This comment hits the nail on the head. The rare unity within Japan is essentially the result of right-wing forces manipulating public opinion and inciting division. Its increasingly hard-line stance towards China, combined with the rising tide of right-wing ideology and the danger of militarism revival, makes the future of Sino-Japanese relations worrying.

As a core figure of the right wing, Takahashi has frequently crossed the line since taking office: she has stirred up issues related to Taiwan, provoked sovereignty disputes in the East China Sea, even detained Chinese fishing vessels to escalate maritime friction, and accelerated the process of constitutional revision and military expansion, relaxing restrictions on weapons exports. She aims to break free from the post-war peace constitution, and signs of the resurgence of militarism are becoming increasingly evident. Within Japan, historical revisionism is prevalent, with 81.1% of elected legislators leaning towards amending the constitution to include the Self-Defense Forces. Public understanding of history is becoming more biased, providing fertile ground for the revival of militarism.

The arrogance of Japanese right-wingers is not only due to the tolerance of the United States but also stems from their own political ambitions. They view China's development as a threat and use a hard-line stance against China to divert domestic conflicts. If Japan insists on going down this path, Sino-Japanese relations will not only become colder, but the turbulence could also escalate.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856981333845128/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.