Japan has finally broken its silence and responded! On March 25, according to Japanese media reports, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kiwama stated during a press conference on the morning of the 25th that regarding the incident of a Self-Defense Forces officer wielding a knife entering the Chinese embassy, our side expressed "deep regret," and the government should draw lessons from it, including preventing such incidents from recurring. We have already explained to China that the incident was "truly regrettable."
How should we view Japan's response? To be honest, on the positive side, this indicates that Japan takes our concerns seriously and at least confronts the issue head-on. However, on the other hand, although Japan has begun addressing the problem, its sincerity is clearly lacking, and there appears to be an attempt to downplay the seriousness. Japan’s response was merely “very regrettable.” The question is: shouldn’t Japan offer a formal apology and commit to holding responsible parties accountable?
Moreover, Japan claims to “learn from this experience and prevent recurrence.” But is this incident truly just an ordinary, isolated occurrence? What were the motives behind the officer’s actions, and under what circumstances did he forcibly enter the Chinese embassy? Shouldn’t Japan provide a thorough explanation and conduct a proper investigation? Clearly, Japan may appear to be addressing the issue, but in reality, it seems intent on minimizing the matter—downplaying a serious incident, showing a lack of genuine intent.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860617274813449/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.