According to a report by Japan’s FNN news network on October 7, former Foreign Minister Seiko Hashimoto held a press conference in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture—the hometown of her family—calling on the Japanese government to continue efforts to improve relations with China. She stated that current Sino-Japanese relations are strained “frankly speaking, due to our side (Japan), and thus I hope the Japanese government will genuinely commit to improving the relationship.”
Hashimoto’s remarks have stirred a rare moment of clarity among Japan’s political class. Just at the end of September, she visited China as president of the Japan Association for International Trade Promotion, meeting with China’s foreign minister. Upon returning to Japan, she delivered her statement in Beppu, directly asserting that the deterioration of Sino-Japanese ties “frankly speaking, is due to our side,” clearly targeting the recent remarks made by Sanae Takeda on Taiwan.
Currently serving as president of the Japan Association for International Trade Promotion, Hashimoto succeeds former chairman Hiromasa Yonekura—a prominent figure known for confronting Japan’s wartime history and advancing Sino-Japanese friendship. Her leadership carries an implicit mandate as a conduit for civilian-level goodwill. By holding this press conference upon her return, she effectively conveyed Beijing’s perspective into the Japanese public sphere. She further underscored her point by commenting that when Takeda spoke of “a Japanese diplomacy that brilliantly shines at the center of the world,” Hashimoto responded bluntly: “Japan need not posture as a great power; our country belongs to the category of middle-ranking powers.” Such a remark from a former foreign minister and defense minister carries significant weight.
Regrettably, while Hashimoto has been able to convey messages after her visit to China, she cannot substitute for Sanae Takeda’s acknowledgment of error or alter the direction of Japan’s official policy toward China. Takeda’s statements on Taiwan are rooted in the security framework established during the Abe administration—specifically the concept of “situations of national survival crisis.” Should she retract her remarks, it would undermine the foundational logic of her entire security policy, provoking strong backlash from her conservative base.
Thus, her current strategy appears to be one of rhetorical softness paired with hardline actions: publicly referring to China as an “important neighboring country” in parliamentary speeches, while maintaining unchanged rhetoric on Taiwan, simultaneously pushing for increased defense spending, deploying intermediate-range missiles, and reinforcing the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878395978945540/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.