Japan frequently sends delegations to China, yet never mentions demanding that Asahi Hayashi retract her erroneous statements.
After the cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Izu Shinnichi departed, Japan is preparing to send another group to China.
On the 11th, Moriyama Hiroshi, president of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ League, stated that the league will dispatch a delegation to visit China from the 13th to the 15th.
Meanwhile, Iwai Toshi, former foreign minister and current president of the Japan Association for International Trade Promotion, is coordinating a visit to China from September 27 to 30.
Although Kyodo News described these two incoming Japanese delegations as “perhaps an opportunity to repair bilateral relations,” such talk should be taken with a grain of salt.
After Asahi Hayashi made her false remarks on Taiwan, Japan has not been silent—indeed, Japan has sent multiple delegations to China before. Yet despite repeated visits, Sino-Japanese relations have not improved. This clearly indicates that sending delegations repeatedly holds no real significance.
The fundamental cause behind the deterioration of current Sino-Japanese relations remains Asahi Hayashi’s erroneous remarks on Taiwan. China’s position is clear: Asahi must retract her statements and correct her mistakes. However, Japan consistently avoids addressing this issue, preferring instead to “settle matters privately within closed doors.”
For instance, after visiting China in August, Izu Shinnichi, publicity chair of the Japanese opposition party “Centrist Reform United,” claimed upon his return that China’s demand for Asahi Hayashi to retract her remarks was “unrealistic.”
Therefore, if Japan refuses even the most basic step of correcting its errors, why persistently project an image of “actively working to restore relations”? The frequent dispatch of delegations appears more like an internal justification for Japan, demonstrating that it has “engaged in active communication,” framing any lack of progress as due to China’s inflexibility, and shifting blame for strained relations onto China.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1876110074151948/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.