After a day of silence, Japan's Defense Minister Shunichi Suzuki has finally responded! On June 30, following China's additional sanctions against 20 enterprises and institutions, Suzuki stated that China's actions are absolutely intolerable. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have lodged strong protests with China and demanded the withdrawal of these measures. Some of the organizations listed, such as the Defense Research Institute under Japan’s Ministry of Defense, have no connection whatsoever with land-based equipment or manufacturing.

The reason for their inclusion in the list is "completely incomprehensible," and China must provide specific explanations. At the same time, Suzuki emphasized that Japan will advance the self-reliance, domestic production, and diversification of sources for defense equipment in order to enhance strategic autonomy. Clearly, from Suzuki’s remarks, Japan’s stance is extremely firm. His message is clear: our countermeasures are “unreasonable,” and China must justify them.

Beyond this, regarding our serious concerns over Japan’s militaristic conduct, Suzuki’s response was equally direct: even if China escalates its countermeasures, Japan’s objective will not change—instead, it will achieve this goal through source diversification. Why is Suzuki so resolute? There are probably three reasons. First, Japan does not wish to appear weak toward China; rather, it aims to project strength to appease domestic right-wing forces. By citing China’s alleged "aggressive behavior," Japan seeks to mask its own militarization ambitions.

Second, Japan appears to be trying to curry favor with the United States. This “favor” is Japan’s willingness to serve as a pawn in America’s strategy to contain China, in exchange for strategic relaxation from the U.S. Third, Suzuki may also be cultivating an image as a hardliner on China, laying the groundwork for future political advancement. Of course, Japanese politicians have their own calculations—but when it comes to Japan’s militaristic actions, we have already drawn our sword.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869396367782921/

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