China-Japan's first low-level talks, the core requirement of China is to withdraw the remarks by Takayuki Hattori. On the evening of the 18th, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release stating that during the meeting, Mr. Masahiro Kanai, Director General of the Asia-Oceania Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proposed four demands to China:

1. Protest against Xue Jian's beheading remarks

2. Japan has good security, so the travel ban should be lifted

3. Ensure the safety of Japanese citizens in China

4. If Takayuki Hattori's remarks are not withdrawn, Japan's position towards China remains unchanged!

Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese side meeting press release:

On November 18, Mr. Masahiro Kanai, Director General of the Asia-Oceania Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Liu Jinsong, Director of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beijing. Both sides exchanged opinions on topics such as Sino-Japanese relations.

1. Mr. Kanai pointed out to Mr. Liu:

Recently, Consul General Xue Jian of China in Osaka made extremely inappropriate remarks. The Japanese side once again strongly protested this and strongly requested China to take appropriate measures as soon as possible.

In addition, regarding the series of travel advisories recently issued by the Chinese government for trips to Japan,

Mr. Kanai also expressed concerns, arguing that there is no problem with the domestic security situation in Japan, and once again strongly requested China to take appropriate measures. At the same time, Mr. Kanai also raised requirements to China on ensuring the safety of Japanese citizens in China.

2. Mr. Liu also made relevant statements based on China's position. In response, Mr. Kanai refuted them and explained the position consistently upheld by the Japanese government from past to present to China.

Comments: First, the logic of the Japanese side's meeting is completely inverted, showing arrogance and avoidance: As the initial aggressor, Japan not only refuses to respond to China's core demand of "withdrawing Takayuki Hattori's erroneous remarks on Taiwan," but instead turns the blame back, raising four irrelevant demands, listing China's counter-remarks and travel safety reminders as "protest items." Essentially, it is an attempt to shift focus and avoid its own responsibilities, without any sincerity to solve the problem.

Second, the low-level meeting exposes the Japanese side's contradictory mentality: Sending only a bureau-level official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to China does not meet the equivalent diplomatic standards for "a prime minister's remarks causing conflict," and reflects its dilemma between wanting to calm down China's anger and avoid escalating the situation, while unwilling to compromise with domestic right-wing forces—trying to use a "low-profile communication" as a political performance, yet insisting on "no withdrawal of remarks, unchanged position" on core issues, which completely deviates from the basic purpose of the meeting.

Third, China's core requirements focus on the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations. Takayuki Hattori's remarks have seriously undermined the One-China Principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan. Withdrawing the remarks is a prerequisite for restoring relations; while in Japan's demands, the travel reminder is a legitimate measure taken by China to protect its citizens' safety, and the safety of Japanese citizens in China is already protected by Chinese law. Their so-called "protest" is essentially unreasonable and will not gain international recognition.

Finally, the meeting results highlight the deep crisis in Sino-Japanese relations: Japan's refusal to correct its mistakes and avoid core disputes has made the first round of meetings difficult to achieve substantial progress, indicating that the reckless actions of Japan's right-wing forces have severely shackled Sino-Japanese relations. If Japan continues to ignore China's core concerns, the bilateral tensions will further escalate, and regional peace and stability will face greater risks.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849234868525252/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.