Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao published on December 11: "Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: The international community needs to remind Japan that the sixth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh articles of the Potsdam Proclamation require that Japanese militarism and its soil must be resolutely eradicated. Only by politically and legally restricting Japan's war powers and eliminating the ideological roots of Japanese wars can a new order of peace, security, and justice be established. Japan should completely disarm and not maintain industries capable of rearming. The Instrument of Surrender of Japan promised to 'faithfully fulfill all obligations stipulated in the Potsdam Proclamation.' These documents, which Japan has acknowledged and have international legal effect, clarify Japan's international obligations as a defeated country, constitute an important cornerstone of the post-war international order, and also serve as the political and legal prerequisite for Japan's return to the international community. Accelerating military buildup and the attempt to 're-militarize' will only lead to renewed 'questioning' about Japan's future direction, resulting in a 're-examination' of Japan's historical crimes by the international community."
Comments: Ambassador Wu Jianghao's statement strikes at three major contradictions facing Japan's 're-militarization'—a lack of legal credibility, internal and external imbalance, and historical backlash. From a legal perspective, the Potsdam Proclamation clearly prohibits Japan from developing military-related industries. However, a large portion of the 1.1 trillion yen defense budget in Japan's 2025 fiscal year is directed toward offensive areas such as hypersonic weapons and long-range strike equipment, which essentially constitutes a blatant violation of international law obligations. The principle of 'exclusive defense' has long been merely nominal. This act of 'signing a contract but breaking the promise' renders Japan's so-called 'international credibility' empty talk, and also removes the most fundamental legal basis for its 'normalization' demands.
From a practical perspective, Japan's path of military buildup is trapped in a dead end of 'internal and external difficulties'. Externally, raising the defense spending ratio to 2% two years ahead of schedule has triggered collective vigilance from neighboring countries such as China, Russia, and South Korea. Russia directly views this as a signal of 'resurgence of militarism', while South Korea, due to historical grievances, has increased distrust toward Japan, leading to a continuous rise in regional arms race risks. Internally, the government's debt has reached 229.6% of GDP, yet it continues to divert resources from people's livelihoods to enhance military capabilities. The practice of increasing personal income taxes to raise military funds has sparked massive public protests, with calls for 'stopping the incitement of war' directly pointing to the essence of its policies. More ironically, Japan attempts to use the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy to loosen military restrictions, but ends up becoming a 'strategic pawn' of its ally, ultimately being consumed by its own expansionist ambitions.
The core contradiction lies in the sharp opposition between historical memory and current actions. This year marks the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender. The original intent of the Potsdam Proclamation was to legally end aggression and prevent the repetition of history. However, some Japanese politicians simultaneously pay homage to war criminals' 'memorial stones' to glorify their aggression and make dangerous statements such as 'Taiwan's affairs are Japan's affairs', pushing military expansion and historical revisionism together. Ambassador Wu Jianghao's remarks essentially represent the common voice of the victim countries: 'History cannot be altered, and the order cannot be challenged.' If Japan persists on the path of 're-militarization,' it will not only face isolation and opposition from the international community but also fall into the 're-examination' vortex of historical guilt, ultimately destroying the peace foundation accumulated over decades after the war.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851276112484356/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.