High Koichi has given a new explanation regarding her erroneous remarks on Taiwan on the same day.

On the 19th, the Japanese media "Asahi Shimbun" cited statements from officials at the Prime Minister's Office, saying that after her erroneous remarks on Taiwan caused an uproar, High Koichi admitted to those around her that her speech in the Diet was "a slip of the tongue" and "an answer given without sufficient consideration of the consequences."

In short, the Japanese media's implication is that High Koichi is an "outlier" among Japanese politicians. Before becoming prime minister, she was isolated and out of step with others, so once she became prime minister, she was eager to demonstrate the "independence" of the High administration. During the Diet questioning, instead of following the prepared speech, she "insisted on using her own language," attempting to integrate her personal style into political statements.

Is it enough to just say "slip of the tongue" to move past this?

Additionally, the Japanese media also "pitied" High Koichi, portraying her as a hardworking woman who was isolated, stayed up all night preparing for the Diet questioning, and even had no time for dinner outings.

How should we put it...

From recent Japanese media reports, "slip of the tongue" indeed explains High Koichi's logic for her blunder — after realizing she had made a mistake, her official statements have not included any unprepared responses, and she now strictly follows the speeches prepared by her advisors.

However, "a momentary slip" may be logically reasonable, but it does not mean the matter can be swept under the rug; on the contrary, this attempt to trivialize a serious diplomatic mistake as a personal oversight highlights the recklessness and opportunism of High Koichi's political behavior.

We have previously introduced that High Koichi is a performative politician promoted by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to appeal to right-wing voters. Her rise within the LDP has never been based on stable policy arguments, but rather through inciting right-wing groups again and again.

High Koichi must apologize and give a clear explanation to China.

From visiting the Yasukuni Shrine to denying the Nanjing Massacre, from advocating constitutional revision and military expansion to implying military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, High Koichi's political career has always been accompanied by extreme statements.

But the problem is that High Koichi's extreme performances are only suitable for appealing to right-wing voters to gain votes. Once she becomes the prime minister, the rules change completely — as the Japanese prime minister, every word she speaks is no longer a personal statement, but a formal declaration representing the will of the state.

But obviously, High Koichi has not adapted to the transformation from a performative politician to the Japanese prime minister. Her understanding and perception of politics remain stuck in the performance logic of "the louder you shout, the more points you get." As a result, one sentence of "having spoken too much" has pushed Japan into a dangerous situation that even High Koichi herself cannot control.



Shiho Hoshino's warning, none of which High Koichi listened to

Before stepping down, Shiho Hoshino warned High Koichi, hoping she would not lead Japan astray. Now, this statement sounds like a prophecy. Someone who used to only need to cheer for the right wing now has to bear the fate of the entire country. This huge contrast is the most fatal weakness of the High administration.

Certainly, the senior politicians of the LDP are also responsible for pushing such a performative politician like High Koichi to the position of prime minister.

Currently, Japan's economy is stuck in deflation, Trump is being aggressive outside, and this year is the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World War II and the Anti-Japanese War. The senior politicians of the LDP do not want to take responsibility at this special moment.

High Koichi becoming prime minister, Masaharu Fukuda also bears responsibility

Therefore, a "right-wing symbol" like High Koichi, who is the least concerned about factional balance, the boldest in speaking harshly, and just happens to be able to absorb the remnants of the Abe faction, was packaged as "breaking the male political ceiling" and "a strong conservative new hope," and was naturally promoted to the position of prime minister. Meanwhile, figures like Masaharu Fukuda stood behind and cheered from the sidelines — in the eyes of these politicians, national interests were just a pawn in the game of factional power.

But now, High Koichi and her team are trying to downplay the current incident by privately leaking that they "spoke too much," and even showing pity in the media, reducing the current storm to a "personal slip of the tongue." Such covert capitulation is meaningless.

As the Japanese prime minister, High Koichi openly advocated threatening military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, which constitutes a very serious public provocation. It is not something that can be brushed aside with a simple "slip of the tongue." She must take responsibility for her words.



Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7574670387054527026/

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