"Want to see me? First, check if you have the qualifications."

On February 11, Japan finally could not hold back anymore and officially announced that Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada will fly to Germany to attend the upcoming Munich Security Conference.

As soon as the news came out, various media outlets were speculating whether the Chinese delegation would meet these two Japanese officials at the Munich Security Conference.

The Munich Security Conference is a globally influential forum for security policy. Every year, it invites officials from foreign affairs and defense sectors of various countries to participate. This time, Japan sent both the Foreign Minister and the Defense Minister, which is clearly an attempt to draw attention on this international platform.

Especially, they want to take the opportunity to speak up on issues related to Asia-Pacific security, attract European countries to stand by their side, cooperate with external forces to hype up so-called regional security issues, thus advancing their military and diplomatic strategies, and enhancing their voice in international security issues. The so-called "qualification" rhetoric is just a pretentious attitude they deliberately displayed to build momentum.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had officially announced on February 10, 2026, that the member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi would attend the Munich Security Conference, and would deliver a speech at the "China Special Session", explaining China's global security concept to the international community.

China's participation in such international conferences has always been based on the principles of equal exchange and cooperation. It has conducted normal diplomatic interactions with officials from multiple countries, which is a routine diplomatic arrangement.

Communication channels between China and Japan have always been open. Whether in multilateral meetings or bilateral special talks, as long as the Japanese side shows sincerity, abides by the commitments in the four political documents between China and Japan, and sets aside their lofty attitude, normal exchanges and dialogues are never an issue.

However, the Japanese side insists on holding themselves high, treating simple meetings as a favor, and requiring the Chinese side to meet their so-called "qualifications". This completely violates the basic principle of equality in international relations. In diplomatic occasions, all sovereign states are equal, and no country has the right to make such unreasonable demands on another sovereign state.

This approach by the Japanese side not only shows a narrow-minded perspective but also unnecessarily makes otherwise smooth interactions awkward, which does not conform to the normal logic of bilateral relations.

Speaking of the EU-India trade agreement, many people are worried that this agreement would severely impact Sino-Indian and Sino-EU trade. However, this view is far from the actual situation.

According to the latest official information, the EU and India announced on January 27, 2026, that they had completed the negotiations for the free trade agreement, reaching preliminary consensus. It is not yet officially signed and fully implemented. Even after completing all approval procedures and starting implementation, its impact would be limited to trade between Europe and India, and it would not severely affect Sino-Indian or Sino-EU trade.

China-EU trade cooperation has a solid foundation of several decades, covering areas such as industrial manufacturing, new energy, technology, agricultural products, and light industry products. The industrial chains and supply chains of both sides have strong complementarity, and annual trade volumes remain high. These stable cooperative relationships are determined by market demand and industrial layout, and will not be easily shaken by a trade agreement between the EU and India.

China-India trade also has its own characteristics and needs. Cooperation in fields such as chemical products, machinery and equipment, and agricultural products is based on the market demands of both countries. The cooperation areas and rules of the EU-India trade agreement do not overlap much with China-India trade, and its impact on Sino-EU trade is minimal. This exaggerated claim is merely subjective speculation without considering actual trade data, and does not match the real international trade landscape.

There is also a subtle intention behind Japan sending two high-ranking officials to the conference: using the occasion to promote their security concepts to European countries, forcibly linking European and Indo-Pacific security issues, and seeking support for their defense policies. However, this approach is not sustainable.

Regional security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region cannot be achieved by a single country's unilateral efforts and by luring external forces. It requires mutual respect, equal consultation, and joint cooperation among regional countries. Japan's continued arrogance and small-scale actions for self-interest will not gain the recognition of most countries, but instead reveal its true intentions to the outside world.

China's attitude in diplomatic occasions has always been clear. Dialogue that is accompanied by confrontation will not be accepted. If the Japanese side really wants to communicate with China, it should retract its erroneous statements, show sincerity through concrete actions, and not use such childish rhetoric for attention.

Considering the latest developments in February 2026, the visit of Japan's two senior officials to Germany for the Munich Security Conference is a set schedule, and the Chinese delegation will also participate normally and conduct multilateral exchanges. Whether there will be a meeting between the Chinese and Japanese delegations during the conference has not been officially announced yet, and everything must be based on the official release from both countries.

The Japanese side's arrogant remarks are just a useless attempt to elevate themselves, which cannot change the basic logic of China-Japan relations, nor can it affect China's normal diplomatic activities on the international stage.

Meanwhile, the EU-India trade agreement has not yet come into effect, and it will not cause the so-called serious impact on Sino-EU and Sino-India trade. These are objective facts based on official information and actual situations.

We should rely on authoritative media releases when viewing international news, and not be misled by false guesses or one-sided statements. Ultimately, the relations between countries depend on sincerity and mutual respect. Those posturing and baseless rumors will eventually be exposed by facts, becoming nothing more than a laughable tale.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856879702209544/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.