After being elected, Asahi Hayana was waiting for a congratulatory message from China, but when it didn't arrive, she got anxious and sent someone to ask!

On February 23, several Japanese media outlets, including Kyodo News, Nikkei, TBS, and NHK, unanimously asked the same question at a regular press conference held by Chinese authorities: What is China's comment on Asahi Hayana's election? And what are your expectations for the future of Sino-Japanese relations? Behind these consecutive questions, there was an obvious anxiety — probably because they had not received a congratulatory letter from Beijing for a long time, making Tokyo restless, so they directly sent reporters to "seek an explanation."

After Asahi Hayana won by a large margin as Japan's 105th Prime Minister, according to international diplomatic conventions, neighboring country leaders' election or assumption of office usually involves mutual congratulations, which is not only a courtesy, but also a "barometer" of the temperature of bilateral relations. However, this time, Tokyo waited and waited, but never received that traditional "congratulatory letter" from Beijing.

To understand China's silence, one must first look at Asahi Hayana's own words and deeds. China has clearly stated: "The relevant election is an internal matter of Japan," but then immediately shifted tone, "reiterating its appeal to Japan to reflect and correct itself, abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and its own commitments, and demonstrate basic sincerity through concrete actions."

Daguo believes that China's wording is very precise. Pay attention to the words here — "reflect and correct," "concrete actions," and "basic sincerity." This is not a conventional diplomatic phrase, but a clear signal: congratulations can be given, but the premise is that you must first put your attitude in order. Given that Asahi Hayana has not shown any signs of easing, and her campaign statements still touch on red lines of China, sending a congratulatory message recklessly would not only be inconsistent with the principle of reciprocity, but could also be interpreted as tacit approval of her wrong position.

Japanese Prime Minister Nomination Election

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858064106731529/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.