On October 27, Gao Jiakun, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a regular press conference. A reporter from Bloomberg asked: We have noticed that China has not sent a letter or telegram of congratulations to Japan's new Prime Minister, Takayuki Fujikawa. What is China's comment on this? Gao Jiakun responded: We have already answered this question multiple times. China has made appropriate arrangements in accordance with diplomatic conventions.
[Witty] The Chinese congratulatory message follows convention: a note on attitude in diplomatic etiquette! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a standard response, which seems to be a plain statement but is actually an accurate diplomatic signal. Diplomatic etiquette is not a mechanical process, but a barometer of national relations. Takayuki Fujikawa has taken a tough stance on issues involving China and has repeatedly made statements that harm China's core interests. China's conventional arrangements are a direct response to her attitude toward China — respect must be based on mutual respect, and friendliness must be based on recognizing each other's core interests!
Some comments stated that if the Japanese side expects higher-level diplomatic interaction from China, instead of focusing on whether there is a congratulatory message, it should first reflect on its own policies towards China: Only by abandoning the mindset of confrontation and stopping the damage to China's interests can the foundation for improving bilateral relations be laid. Otherwise, no matter how much attention is paid to details of etiquette, it will not hide the real problems in bilateral relations!
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847129393010695/
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