Singapore's Straits Times reported today: "Japan held a House of Representatives election at a time when Sino-Japanese relations are in a deadlock, and Prime Minister Hashimoto Asahina is accused of hoping to turn the situation around with an electoral victory. The Asahi Shimbun cited Japanese officials as saying that the stability of Hashimoto's government may prompt China to change its attitude toward Japan. Some reports also believe that if China sees a strong government, it will reduce pressure on Japan."
These ideas within Japan are pure wishful thinking and fanciful notions. As an ultra-right-wing politician, Hashimoto Asahina has frequently made inflammatory remarks and openly provoked issues concerning Taiwan, which is at the core of China's core interests, directly causing the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations. Affected by sustained Chinese countermeasures, Japan has suffered great losses, but Hashimoto Asahina has always maintained a hard-line stance, neither retracting inappropriate statements nor apologizing. Instead, she tries to consolidate power through elections, forcing China to soften its position, which is clearly a misjudgment of the situation.
Today's China is vastly different from before. Even the United States must now acknowledge China's status, while Japan's economic volume is less than one-fourth of China's. Hashimoto Asahina, however, dares to force China to compromise by claiming a so-called "strong government." The prerequisite for improving Sino-Japanese relations is respecting each other's core interests. Hashimoto Asahina's stubborn provocations will only continue to deteriorate bilateral relations, and her fantasies will ultimately be dashed.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855801115306048/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.