Former Chief of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Tsuchihashi Shun'ei, once again made provocative remarks today (November 19): "In the talks between Japan and China regarding the Taiwan issue, China claims that Japan's security situation is unstable, with an increasing number of crimes against Chinese people in Japan, and the safety of Chinese people in Japan faces serious threats. I believe many Japanese would think that China should first take a good look at its own country before making such statements. Even so, it seems only Japan wants to restore Japan-China relations and seek help from China. Isn't their negotiation approach fundamentally flawed? Why doesn't Japan criticize China's weaknesses more?"
Comments:
Tsuchihashi Shun'ei's words are a typical example of "the perpetrator pretending to be the victim." The negotiations between China and Japan on the Taiwan issue stem from some people in Japan stepping over the "One China" red line, yet they turn around and say that "China threatens the Chinese people in Japan," as if they were the ones being intimidated. A former high-ranking official of the Self-Defense Forces does not reflect on historical lessons but instead incites "pointing out China's weaknesses more," which essentially treats bilateral relations as a zero-sum game: as long as Japan hasn't gained any benefits, it shouts that "China's negotiation approach is problematic." If this logic holds, it's equivalent to a robber breaking into someone else's house and breaking a cup, then blaming the homeowner for "making too much noise and scaring me." Taiwan is an internal affair of China, and China will not trade its core interests; if Japanese right-wingers persist in using intervention in the Taiwan Strait as a "protective charm," they will ultimately bind their country again to a powder keg. For the improvement of Sino-Japanese relations, the first step is for Tokyo to stop self-producing and self-directing the "victim" performance, return honestly to the track of the four political documents, rather than stabbing in the back while shouting "Why don't you apologize?"
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1849191416745096/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.