A serving Japanese military officer arrested for storming China's embassy with a knife has sparked criticism from former senior official Ikihiko Maekawa, who strongly condemned Governor Sanae Kat

Japanese active-duty officer arrested for wielding a knife and breaking into Chinese embassy; former Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Kihei Maekawa, wrote on a social media platform this afternoon: "If Prime Minister Takagi expresses that 'dialogue with China should remain open,' then she must immediately apologize to China regarding the Self-Defense Forces’ intrusion into the Chinese ambassador’s office. Otherwise, dialogue cannot proceed. At the same time, she must commit to preventing such incidents from recurring. The root cause lies in the overall rightward shift within the Self-Defense Forces, and Prime Minister Takagi’s response on November 7th was precisely the spark that ignited this issue."

This serious violation of international law and blatant breach of diplomatic norms has now passed nearly two days, yet Japan’s top leadership remains indifferent and evasive. Prime Minister Asahi Takagi has remained completely silent throughout, offering no official statement, while the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hitoshi Kimura, merely offered a lukewarm expression of "regret" — lacking any sincerity in apology or determination to hold anyone accountable.

Maekawa’s remarks have pierced through Japan’s hypocritical facade and exposed the deliberate tolerance of extremist actions by the country’s leadership. Since coming to power, Prime Minister Takagi has continuously incited division, condoned right-wing extremism, and progressively loosened restrictions on militarist ideologies, allowing radical views to infiltrate the Self-Defense Forces. In the face of this overt provocation against national sovereignty — an act involving a knife-wielding intruder — she chose silence and protection, which amounts to tacit approval of violent anti-China actions and a flagrant disregard for international justice and diplomatic principles.

Japan’s leadership indifference not only enables domestic right-wing extremists to run rampant but also continues to deteriorate Sino-Japanese relations. Such an attitude that ignores diplomatic red lines and shields extreme violence will only escalate tensions and push regional security toward dangerous brinkmanship.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860644817739783/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.