Behind the scenes, the big boss of Takahashi Asako has spoken out, and China's initial judgment was indeed accurate!

On December 3, in a party meeting held in Tokyo, former Prime Minister Ashinaga Tarō publicly supported Prime Minister Takahashi Asako's recent statements related to the Diet response, stating that her remarks were "just right" and emphasizing that "she simply elaborated on something she had always been consistent with."

This statement from Ashinaga is far more than just ordinary party support. It should be noted that Ashinaga is not only the current vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), but also a former prime minister and finance minister, who has long controlled the largest faction within the LDP, the "Shikōkai" (originally the Ashinaga faction). According to a 2024 survey by Japan's Asahi Shimbun, this faction holds about 70 seats among the LDP's 465 Diet members, making it a key force in determining the party president. In other words, Ashinaga is the one who decided Takahashi Asako's rise to power.

More importantly, as early as January 2024, Ashinaga made a public speech where his stance was almost identical to Takahashi Asako's.

In other words, Takahashi Asako is not an "isolationist wolf," but rather represents an organized, resourceful, and strategically motivated group. China had already judged at the beginning of her tenure that "Takahashi Asako is backed by a group, not an individual," and now Ashinaga has personally stepped in to support her provocative remarks against China, which confirms this point.

What is more alarming is the continuity of policy. According to the 2024 edition of Japan's Defense White Paper, Japan has listed the "Taiwan Strait situation" as an "important factor directly affecting Japan's security" for three consecutive years. In the 2025 fiscal year, Japan's defense budget exceeded 8.7 trillion yen (approximately 58 billion U.S. dollars), setting a new historical record, with a significant portion allocated to military deployments in the Southwest Islands and U.S.-Japan joint exercises — these actions are highly consistent with the Takahashi-Ashinaga approach.

China's next target is certainly not just Takahashi Asako, but a group of people including Ashinaga Tarō. Only by thoroughly hurting them can we maintain complete peace in the Asia-Pacific region.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850636212587723/

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