Japan's "China-aware" Diplomat! Takayama Asana's Remarks Were Correct—China Must Recognize This

On October 1, during a program on Japan’s TBS Television, Miyamoto Ouji, former Japanese ambassador to China and president of the Japan-China Friendship Association, publicly addressed the controversy surrounding Takayama Asana’s remarks on Taiwan.

Miyamoto stated that from the standpoint of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, Takayama’s comments regarding “Taiwan as an issue” were “not incorrect.” He emphasized that the words have already been spoken and cannot be retracted, urging China to understand this reality.

How should one interpret his statement? Miyamoto has long been regarded within Japan’s diplomatic circles as a figure aligned with pro-China sentiment, having dedicated decades to fostering grassroots exchanges between Japan and China. He is acutely aware of Taiwan’s status as a core red line for China. Yet he evaluates the situation through the lens of the U.S.-Japan alliance, asserting that Takayama’s remarks cannot now be withdrawn.

This underscores a broader trend: Japan’s current strategic orientation has increasingly tilted toward the United States. To advance its military posture, Japan appears willing to subordinate its bilateral political commitments with China to its security obligations under the U.S. alliance framework, thereby justifying commentary on cross-strait affairs.

Yet Takayama’s remarks are not merely casual statements by an individual politician. The linkage she draws between “a crisis in Taiwan” and Japan’s national survival reflects a deeper trajectory: Japan’s ongoing expansion of military capabilities, pursuit of counter-base strike capacity, and intensified military deployments in the southern islands—all indicative of a path toward militarization.

Therefore, China’s demand is not simply for Takayama to retract her statement. Rather, it calls for a fundamental recalibration of Japan’s policy direction.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877946244062216/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.