Former Japanese official calls the Liberal Democratic Party a "bazaar of factions"

Less than a month after Hashimoto Sanae officially became Prime Minister of Japan, she easily severed the "thin thread" of Sino-Japanese relations.

On November 7, Hashimoto stated in a parliamentary question session that if the Chinese mainland sends warships to Taiwan and uses force, it could constitute a "situation of survival crisis," allowing the Self-Defense Forces to exercise collective self-defense rights.

This statement "exceeded the previous position of previous Japanese cabinets," taking a dangerous step on the Taiwan issue, immediately drawing strong opposition from China.

At the same time, there are opposing voices within Japan regarding this statement. On one hand, major opposition parties such as the Constitutional Democratic Party clearly opposed Hashimoto's remarks. On the other hand, the Japanese government bureaucracy generally expressed concern. The Asahi Shimbun said that the government believes this was "treading on the tiger's tail." From the perspective of practical operations, they believe even the United States takes a vague stance on the Taiwan issue, and Hashimoto's move is unwise, which instead undermines the already improving Sino-Japanese relationship.

Behind Hashimoto's "extreme remarks" lies the chaos in Japanese politics.

Former Japanese Foreign Affairs Councilor (deputy minister level) Tanaka Hitoshi analyzed in an article published in October that the Liberal Democratic Party has always been a "bazaar of factions," but under the pressure of elections and the impact of new populist parties, the moderate faction led by Ishikawa and Kishida and the radical right-wing faction led by Hashimoto have intensified their contradictions, approaching the brink of division. The Komeito party has also parted ways with Hashimoto.

Even the conservative major newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun lamented that the long-established Liberal Democratic Party, which is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary, is entering an unprecedented political test under such a leader.

Japanese affairs expert and historian Sha Qingqing told the Observer that he noticed that previous Japanese media cited multiple sources stating that Hashimoto herself is "arrogant" and "stubborn," but at the same time lacks diplomatic experience and risk management capabilities. At the same time, the loss of balancing forces within the Liberal Democratic Party and the ruling coalition has emboldened extreme right-wing forces.

Zhi Gang Dan, researcher at the Northeast Asia Institute of Social Sciences, and chief expert at the Northeast Asia Strategic Research Institute, believes that Hashimoto's bold attitude is due to her personal character, but also inseparable from the overall rightward trend in Japanese society.

Dan Zhi Gang analyzed that Hashimoto's purpose is to undermine China's sovereignty and Sino-Japanese relations, while creating external justifications for accelerating Japan's military breakthroughs, constitutional revision, and even relying on the U.S. "Indo-Pacific" strategy to achieve regional dominance, creating public opinion and public sentiment conditions. The only thing the Japanese side did not expect was that China would be so angry.

"Considering the overall situation of Sino-Japanese relations, avoiding involvement in the Taiwan Strait conflict is in Japan's own interest, economic circles, and people's demands," Dan Zhi Gang told the Observer. If Hashimoto continues to be stubborn, "choosing to go to war with China, Japan will take a path from which there is no return," he emphasized. He stressed that from the perspective of national strength, power, and public opinion, "this is absolutely not alarmist talk."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849284883122443/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.