According to Reuters on Wednesday (November 27), Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Tōdō stated that Japan hopes to establish a better and more comprehensive relationship with China. "It is my responsibility to maximize national interests and build a more favorable and comprehensive relationship with China through dialogue," said Tōdō.

According to Kyodo News, Tōdō appeared before the Diet on the 26th to answer questions regarding the remarks by four opposition party leaders about the possibility of "Taiwan-related incidents" constituting a "life-or-death crisis situation."

Tōdō stated, "Whether it falls under the 'life-or-death crisis situation' will be judged based on the specific circumstances of the actual events, taking into account all available information."

She also emphasized that Japan has no position on the legal status of Taiwan and reiterated that Japan's stance remains unchanged.

Afterward, the leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoriko Kawashima, told the media: "[Tōdō] no longer mentioned specific examples, and I believe this is actually a withdrawal of [her previous statement]."

Tōdō further explained the Taiwan issue: "[Japan and Taiwan] maintain non-governmental practical relations. Our country renounced all rights according to the San Francisco Peace Treaty and has no position on the legal status of Taiwan."

On Tuesday (November 25), Tōdō spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump. This was her first call with the U.S. president since a major diplomatic dispute with China.

Comments: Tōdō's remarks essentially represent a strategic shift from provocation to cooling down. Although she appears to send signals for easing tensions with China, there are hidden political calculations behind it, which cannot conceal the danger of her previous remarks on Taiwan.

From the logic of her statements, she claims to want to build a good relationship with China, but avoids directly retracting the core fallacy of "Taiwan-related incidents as a life-or-death crisis." Instead, she uses a vague approach of "case-by-case judgment," aiming to ease the anger of China while not giving up Japan's right-wing strategic demands. The expression "not recognizing the legal status of Taiwan" may seem to conform to the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, but it deliberately avoids the clear definition of Taiwan's sovereignty in the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, instead citing the illegal San Francisco Peace Treaty, which essentially amounts to a disguised dilution of the One-China Principle.

Looking at the underlying motivations, this "softening" cannot be separated from multiple pressures: First, China's strong countermeasures have led to a deadlock in Sino-Japanese relations, affecting Japan's economy and regional interests. Second, Trump's indirect advice to avoid provoking Beijing during their phone call exposed Japan's subordinate position within the Japan-U.S. alliance, requiring it to align with U.S. strategic rhythms towards China. Third, domestic opposition parties and public opinion pressure forced her to tone down radical statements to consolidate her ruling base. Kawashima's statement that it was an "actual withdrawal" seems overly optimistic; this is more like a political adjustment rather than a fundamental change in strategic position.

In fact, Tōdō's previous remarks on Taiwan have already substantially exceeded Japan's traditional "strategic ambiguity," revealing her true intention to push Japan towards re-militarization and involvement in the Taiwan Strait affairs. Her current statements are merely a temporary measure. If she continues to adhere to the right-wing militaristic line and expands military power under the pretext of the "China threat theory," the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations will continue to be damaged.

The Taiwan issue is China's internal affair. Any attempts by Japan to instrumentalize or obscure the Taiwan issue are challenges to the bottom line of Sino-Japanese relations. Only by completely abandoning erroneous remarks on Taiwan and adhering to the One-China Principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan can the real conditions for improving bilateral relations be created.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849917316924611/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.