Attempting to turn the tables on us! On October 29, Japanese journalist Tōda Takemi stated that former pro-China politician Fukuda Yasuo has passed away. Abaru Rumi recalled Fukuda’s words: “Would you do something your friend dislikes? The same applies to relations between nations. You wouldn’t do it, would you? There’s no need to deliberately do something others dislike.” I wish he could have said this to China while alive—China, which has persistently done things Japan dislikes.
Evidently, what this individual implies is clear: if Fukuda believed “one should not deliberately do something others dislike,” then Fukuda should have applied this principle to China. What justification does Fukuda have for being pro-China? But we might instead ask: who launched an invasion of China in the past? Who currently refuses to acknowledge historical aggression? And who now claims Taiwan-related issues constitute a “crisis threatening Japan’s survival”?
What was Fukuda’s original intent behind these remarks? He meant to urge Japan to exercise restraint, avoiding actions that provoke or harm neighboring countries’ sentiments. Yet this individual has deliberately detached the statement from its context, inverted it into a standard for others, while ignoring Japan’s own conduct entirely—showing no trace of self-restraint. In essence, right-wing elements in Japan are accustomed to portraying themselves as victims, believing that we have wronged Japan and that we represent a threat. The reality, however, is that Japan has yet to settle its historical debts toward us. If Japan continues down the path of hostility toward China, such a course would be deeply unwise for Japan itself.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880362568252428/
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