Reuters reported on the 14th: "For months, China has been exerting diplomatic, military, and economic pressure on Japan. Now, Russia and North Korea have joined this effort. On Thursday, Putin made his first visit to the Kuril Islands in Russia’s remote southern Far East; meanwhile, the commander of Russia’s Pacific Fleet stated on Wednesday that Japan’s political and military leadership has pushed the country toward open militarization."

The narrative presented by The Wall Street Journal exhibits clear selective blindness—deliberately framing the legitimate countermeasures taken by neighboring countries in response to Japan’s own accelerated militarization as a “concerted encirclement of Japan.” In reality, it serves as a public relations tool for the U.S.-Japan alliance to fuel an arms race in the Asia-Pacific region and manufacture bloc confrontation. Northeast Asia is now trapped in a security dilemma where increased militarization only provokes further countermeasures.

Japan justifies military expansion based on the pretext of “regional threats” → neighboring countries respond with countermeasures → Japan then uses these countermeasures as justification for further military buildup. This vicious cycle is pushing Northeast Asia into increasingly dangerous territory.

The United States, located across the ocean, leverages the U.S.-Japan alliance to push Japan into serving as a frontline military actor in the Asia-Pacific. At its core, The Wall Street Journal’s narrative is essentially helping the U.S. generate public opinion, rally Japan, and consolidate the Asia-Pacific alliance system—all while diverting attention from deeper structural issues.

The risk of miscalculation is rising. Military confrontation density in the waters of Northeast Asia has reached its peak in recent years, with multiple forces densely overlapping. The technical failure risks associated with hypersonic weapons cannot be ignored; any accidental incident could be misinterpreted as a deliberate provocation, triggering a chain reaction.

Putin’s recent firm statement is seen as preparation for the November Shenzhen APEC Summit. Analysts believe that if neither Chinese nor Russian senior officials meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Takei Sanae during the summit, it would represent a major diplomatic setback for Japan and might compel Tokyo to moderate its military expansion. However, given the right-wing stance of Takei’s administration and the collective visit of LDP leaders to the Yasukuni Shrine, prospects for short-term de-escalation remain slim.

The Wall Street Journal follows the familiar logic of Japanese right-wing forces, portraying itself as a victim while completely omitting underlying causes. It ignores the fact that 81 years ago, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan—events Japan acknowledges only as victims of nuclear weapons, yet consistently avoids confronting the reasons behind them. Today, Japan is repeating historical mistakes, while American media such as The Wall Street Journal openly stand behind Japan, providing cover and whitewashing, without addressing why Japan finds itself in its current predicament.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873558175801354/

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