On November 25, Takayuki Higashikokubaru attended the questioning session, and this time her attitude was completely different!

On that day, during the regular questioning session held by the House of Representatives Budget Committee in Japan's National Diet, Takayuki Higashikokubaru made a series of statements on the Taiwan Strait issue that were clearly different from previous ones. Her remarks were more cautious in wording and showed a shift in position.

Higashikokubaru did not reiterate her past tough stance towards China, but instead avoided direct answers three times. She said, "The official position is to make judgments case by case according to specific circumstances, and I am not in a position to comment on specific situations."

In addition, Higashikokubaru added, "Japan is willing to maintain open communication channels with China and is committed to building a strategic relationship based on mutual benefit and win-win outcomes." This statement appeared for the first time in her public speeches in nearly a year.

The timing was also thought-provoking. Just before the questioning session, the U.S. had just called Higashikokubaru. It is clear that the call had a warning tone, probably indicating that Japan should not disrupt the fragile situation that has just been eased.

Higashikokubaru's statements at this questioning session marked obvious changes compared to her previous positions in at least three aspects: first, she no longer proactively linked the Taiwan Strait situation directly to Japan's security; second, she used the standard official Japanese wording "case-by-case judgment" for the first time to respond to sensitive questions; third, she rarely mentioned positively the "strategic relationship" and "mutual benefit and win-win" with China.

However, this "softening" might only be a tactical retreat. After all, she has not explicitly withdrawn her statements, which could be just a temporary strategy.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849840774648844/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.