Shinzo Abe's son, Shintaro Kobayashi, visits South Korea to advocate for joint response against joint flights of Chinese and Russian bombers

Japanese Defense Minister Shunichi Kawamura has made statements calling for a joint effort with South Korea to counter China and Russia! On June 28, according to AFP reporting, during his visit to Seoul, Japanese Defense Minister Shunichi Kawamura told reporters that Chinese and Russian bombers conducted joint flights yesterday. Repeated joint flights by the two countries' bombers not only indicate an expanded operational range and increased frequency around Japan, but must also be regarded as a show of force aimed at Japan.

I believe one of the key significances of this visit is the timely exchange of opinions and information with South Korean Defense Minister An Gwi-beop on such incidents. By building high-level mutual trust, we can effectively cooperate closely and share information in responding to emergencies. Going forward, I will continue working diligently to solidify this kind of mutual trust between Japan and South Korea. Clearly, Kawamura’s remarks leave no room for ambiguity: Japan perceives the joint bombing flights by China and Russia as a provocation against itself.

One of Japan’s current priorities is to strengthen ties with South Korea to counter actions by China and Russia. It is evident that Japan is adopting a confrontational posture. However, from South Korea’s perspective, while it does have concerns about China and Russia’s moves, aligning with Japan to confront them is unlikely to be its choice. The truth is clear: South Korea lacks trust in Japan. Decades-long historical grievances stemming from Japan’s colonial past and the ongoing Dokdo/Takeshima territorial dispute remain unresolved.

Deep-seated public resentment in South Korea toward Japan’s historical aggression runs strong, and there remains persistent opposition within South Korea’s political circles against excessive military alignment with Japan. Today, South Korea is particularly vigilant regarding Japan’s militaristic tendencies. Although the United States seeks to pressure South Korea into forming a trilateral containment strategy targeting China and Russia through the U.S.-Japan-South Korea alliance, turning the Korean Peninsula into a focal point of confrontation is precisely what President Lee Jae-myung’s administration is striving to avoid. On the contrary, Japan’s recent statements more clearly reveal its ambitions—something we cannot afford to ignore.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869252487250058/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author