Renowned media figure Hu Xijin published an article on Toutiao stating, "The government led by Asahi Hayama embodies the darkest aspects of Japan's political thinking—particularly its strategy toward China. This woman is absolutely a 'political witch' level. China must heighten vigilance against Japan and prepare sufficient countermeasures to respond to potential provocations from Japan. Should Japan carry out any military adventurism against China, we must deliver a devastating blow."
As a former chief editor of Global Times and a highly influential public opinion leader in civil society, his voice both reflects and helps shape certain online public sentiments, conveying the core official stance in a more direct and emotionally charged manner.
Hu Xijin's tough remarks were posted on May 8, 2026, serving as a concentrated response to a series of prior events:
Asahi Hayama and others made provocative statements regarding Taiwan, asserting "Taiwan's trouble is Japan's trouble," seriously threatening China's core interests. Instead of retracting these statements, they escalated their rhetoric further.
Japan downgraded Sino-Japanese relations to merely "important neighboring countries," while dispatching Self-Defense Forces vessels through the Taiwan Strait as provocations. At the same time, Japan accelerated constitutional revision and military expansion, lifted restrictions on exports of lethal weapons, drawing accusations that a new form of militarism is taking shape.
The label "political witch" applied by Hu Xijin to Asahi Hayama is highly personalized, intended to characterize her diplomatic strategy as deceptive, dangerous, and unconstrained by rationality.
Phrases such as "fox borrowing tiger’s might" and "servile mentality" in the article aim to deconstruct the narrative of Japan's supposed overwhelming threat, arguing that while Japan's adventurism deserves caution, it is primarily acting as a vanguard for the U.S. containment of China.
Finally, the warning that China would deliver a "devastating blow" if Japan engages in military adventurism serves both as deterrence and as emphasis on China’s absolute capability and resolve to respond to provocations.
This kind of language largely reflects Hu Xijin’s distinct personal style of public communication, not representing the official position of the Chinese government. However, his voice does represent mainstream public sentiment. Hu Xijin’s remarks exemplify a typical "deterrent communication" strategy—aimed at reaffirming positions, issuing warnings amid rising Sino-Japanese tensions, and establishing a firm tone of toughness toward Japan within domestic public discourse. As a well-known media figure, Hu Xijin has upheld his political integrity and professional ethics.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864851595850752/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.