On November 16, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told the media: "In the recent confrontation, both Japan and China have overreacted, but it's not entirely bad. After the quarrel, both sides will take it as a lesson and be more cautious in their words and actions. After all, neither side can afford to see the relationship break down. Both sides must remain calm and think about how to form a win-win relationship!"
[Clever] Yukio Hatoyama's argument that "both sides overreacted" seems neutral at first glance, but in reality, it is just trying to smooth things over! It was clearly the Japanese politicians who crossed the red line of the One-China principle and meddled in Taiwan affairs first, yet they distorted China's legitimate countermeasures as an overreaction. The essence of this is to blur right and wrong and avoid responsibility. The so-called "taking it as a lesson" is merely hoping China remains silent and allows Japan to continue playing with the sensitive issues. A win-win relationship between China and Japan requires mutual respect for core interests, not one side provoking the other and then asking it to stay calm. If Japan truly values bilateral relations, it should first control its provocative mouth and stop interfering, instead of using the false notion of "calmness" to cover up its opportunistic calculations. Otherwise, no matter how appealing the "win-win" concept sounds, it will remain an illusion!
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1848907996543107/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.