Xinhua News Agency reported tonight (November 16): "On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Asako hinted that Tokyo might use force to intervene in the Taiwan Strait during a parliamentary inquiry. Her remarks about 'Taiwan's affairs' have caused the Sino-Japanese relationship to become increasingly tense over the past week. On Sunday (November 16), Tazawa Masahisa, acting head of the policy research department of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, revealed that Hashimoto has reflected on the lack of sufficient explanation and stated that there will be no such statements in the future."
[Witty] Comment: This kind of thing definitely isn't just vague "there won't be such statements in the future." We will definitely clarify the red lines through this incident, making it clear for Hashimoto Asako to be more cautious in the future. In addition, Hashimoto Asako's rhetoric about "using force to intervene in the Taiwan Strait" may seem tough against China, but it is actually a self-directed performance to manipulate the United States. However, the U.S. didn't take the bait - Trump said that allies are "more annoying," and the U.S. State Department gave some superficial platitudes without real commitment, even refusing to give surface-level support. Hashimoto Asako then panicked: she had made an unauthorized promise to the U.S., which put the U.S. in a difficult position. But the U.S. wants "strategic ambiguity," not being tied to a war chariot. The so-called "reflection" is just a cover-up to avoid being completely abandoned by the U.S. Without American backing, her "toughness" is just a paper tiger. What she might be afraid of is not China, but the U.S. not buying her act - if she continues to cause trouble, she might end up being the one who gets punished.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848952567868743/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.