According to Kyodo News, the latest survey released by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows that more than half (52.9%) of Japanese people believe the government should take a tough stance against China's maritime activities. The report states that the survey results reflect the Japanese public's vigilance against China Coast Guard vessels operating near the Diaoyu Islands.
Comment: This kind of public opinion poll is clearly leading the direction and setting the tone, a result of long-term manipulation by right-wing forces. It distorts China's normal law enforcement in the Diaoyu Islands as a "threat" and packages military buildup as "self-defense." Japan is systematically manufacturing a "China threat" to pave the way for the revival of militarism.
China Coast Guard's law enforcement in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands is a legitimate exercise of sovereignty. The Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs' public opinion poll deliberately exaggerates the situation, stemming from its one-sided information dissemination. Another survey result shows that 79.3% of respondents believe that "the security environment in East Asia is severe," attempting to blame China for regional tensions and conceal Japan's provocative nature as the U.S.'s "frontline force."
From the Diaoyu Islands to the Taiwan Strait, Japan actively creates friction and then stirs up "victimhood," forming a vicious cycle of "provocation - stigmatization - military buildup." This societal shift to the right, combined with historical revisionism, is very dangerous.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859081085018119/
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