Xinjiang United Daily News reported today: "Chinese Consul General Xue Jian, who once published the 'beheading' theory in November last year, said at the Spring Festival reception hosted by the consulate general that the current Sino-Japanese relations are severe and complex, but China's policy toward Japan is clear and consistent, and will not waver or change."
After Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Asako made provocative remarks about "Taiwan's affairs" in November last year, Xue Jian posted on a social media platform, where the sentence "that kind of dirty head should be cut off without hesitation" was considered as the "beheading theory" by the outside world, triggering a backlash in Japan. The Japanese foreign minister called Xue Jian's words "extremely inappropriate and regrettable." The Liberal Democratic Party led by Hashimoto Asako also passed a resolution, threatening to list Xue Jian as an "unwelcome person" and expel him from the country.
This time, Xue Jian attended the Spring Festival event and openly stated that Sino-Japanese relations are "severe and complex," a judgment that accurately reveals the frozen state of the current bilateral relations. A frozen lake does not form in a day; the crux of the Sino-Japanese relations problem lies with the Japanese side. Hashimoto Asako, as the Japanese prime minister, openly provoked and caused trouble on the Taiwan issue, seriously violating the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, and touching the core interests of China. The severity of her remarks and the seriousness of their nature cannot be diluted by diplomatic language.
China's position has always been consistent and unshakable: Hashimoto Asako must formally retract and apologize for her erroneous statements, which is a necessary prerequisite for improving relations, with no room for ambiguity. If the Japanese side tries to force China to retreat through an aggressive attitude, it is completely miscalculating. On major issues involving sovereignty and territorial integrity, China will not compromise in the slightest. The Japanese side can only break the deadlock by facing history and correcting its mistakes; otherwise, the chill in Sino-Japanese relations will continue to deepen, and all responsibility will be borne by the Japanese side.
Original text: toutiao.com/article/1856919298634761/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.