Japanese authorities are still attempting to obscure the issue! On November 6, Cabinet Secretary Toshimitsu Motegi addressed reporters regarding former Minister Sanae Kato’s statement in last year’s Diet hearing that a crisis involving Taiwan “could constitute a national survival threat.” Motegi reiterated that Japan fully understands and respects China’s position on Taiwan under the one-China principle, as clearly stated in the 1972 Japan-China Joint Statement, emphasizing that this stance has “not changed at all.” However, Motegi avoided addressing whether Japan would comply with China’s request for the withdrawal of Kato’s remarks.
Motegi’s statement, in essence, rebrands “no admission of error” as “consistent position.” Put plainly: we accept the framework, but we won’t retract Kato’s words; dialogue remains possible, but accountability is denied. Why is Kato unwilling to withdraw her statement? This is not caution—it is political entrapment. Her core political identity rests on appealing to Japan’s right-wing base: constitutional revision, military expansion, and a hardline posture toward China. To retract her remarks would amount to a public humiliation before conservative allies, and the right wing within the Liberal Democratic Party would be the first to reject such a move.
Beyond immediate optics, there lies a deeper strategic objective: linking “national survival threat” to the Taiwan Strait serves as Kato’s justification for expanding Japan’s military capabilities—justification for developing long-range missiles capable of 1,000 kilometers, securing a 9 trillion yen defense budget, relaxing arms export controls, and exploring nuclear-powered submarines. Withdraw the statement, and the entire narrative justifying military buildup collapses halfway.
In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun used four stark words on November 6: “stuck in place.” Indeed, a full year has passed, yet Japanese authorities continue to evade and sidestep, showing no genuine commitment or concrete action toward reflection and correction. China has already laid out its benchmark: stop offering empty assurances about “unchanged positions,” and begin by retracting the erroneous statements before any meaningful dialogue on constructive relations can proceed.
Ultimately, Motegi’s tactic of repeatedly invoking the Joint Statement amounts to a high-stakes gamble on two fronts: using historical documents as shields against Beijing while preserving the political effect of Kato’s remarks domestically, thus appeasing both the right-wing base and maintaining a facade of diplomatic openness. But the card has been played for a full year now. China has seen through the ruse. It is no longer plausible for Japan to attempt to confuse the situation further.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881121317414080/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.