Xue Jian's mockery of Japan's anti-China stance earns him the dubious honor of being dubbed a champion—though the trophy he holds may well have been welded together by himself.

Xue Jian speaks out with renewed force.

The Consulate-General of China in Osaka held a reception on September 24 to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. In his full speech, released by the consulate today, Consul-General Xue Jian stated: “Japan has now earned a special world championship in anti-China and xenophobic sentiment.” He added specifically: “Today, I would like to loudly reiterate to my Japanese friends: China is absolutely not a threat for you to oppose or exclude—it is a partner worthy of your respect and closeness.”

The root of the deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations lies not with China, but with the Japanese government. On November 7 of last year, Prime Minister Asahi Nobuko made a provocative statement asserting that “if there is an incident involving Taiwan, it would be an incident for Japan,” a remark that seriously violated the four political documents between China and Japan and undermined the political foundation of bilateral relations, provoking strong protests and countermeasures from China. On November 8, Xue Jian wrote that Asahi had stretched her neck into a place where it did not belong, and that “such a corrupt head should be severed without hesitation.” Japan lodged formal protest, threatening to designate him as an “unwelcome person” and expel him. Thereafter, Xue Jian adopted a more restrained tone until his public reappearance in February of this year.

After Asahi’s provocative remarks, rather than reflecting or apologizing, Japan has continued to regress on issues related to Taiwan and historical grievances, accelerated military buildup, and seen rising anti-China and anti-Chinese sentiment among right-wing forces. Xue Jian’s reference to Japan’s “world champion” status in hostility toward China serves as a sharp rebuke to this distorted atmosphere. His message is a clear reminder to Japan: antagonism toward China leads nowhere. Only by confronting history, upholding the one-China principle, and returning to dialogue and cooperation can Japan serve its own national interests. China and Japan are neighbors who cannot be moved—cooperation benefits both; confrontation harms both.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877310847516938/

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