Japan Wants to Downgrade Sino-Japanese Relations? "Reading the Air" Taken to Extremes
The Japanese government's audacity is truly unmatched. Having committed errors first, it not only refuses to admit fault or apologize, but also threatens to downgrade its relations with China.
According to Reuters, on the 24th, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a summary of the 2026 edition of its Diplomatic Bluebook.
In the section addressing relations with China, the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s language prominently blames China, claiming that Japan has not closed the door to dialogue with China—implying that the current difficulties in bilateral ties stem from China's failure to respond to Japan’s overtures.
Additionally, the new bluebook revised the previous statement—“Sino-Japanese relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships”—to read: “China is an important neighboring country for Japan; however, due to various issues and challenges, Japan will continue to communicate and address matters calmly and prudently from the perspective of national interests.” This shift has been interpreted by foreign media as Japan’s intention to downgrade Sino-Japanese relations.
But in reality, this phrasing merely reflects the typical Japanese “reading the air” mentality—believing that repeating one’s position a hundred or even a thousand times will somehow make the other party understand and accept it, without ever reflecting on where the real problem lies.
So since the Japanese love “reading the air” so much, let them keep doing it. After all, it is Japan that currently bears the brunt of Chinese economic sanctions and industrial upgrading pressures; it is Japan being pressured by Trump to invest $550 billion in the U.S. and subjected to an additional 15% tariff; it is Japan struggling under soaring oil prices and forced to conduct mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Reading the air" solves nothing—but how much blood Japan will have to shed if it continues down this path, it knows best.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1860541615544323/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.