On November 23, former Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru commented on Takahashi Hayato's erroneous remarks about Taiwan and his views on the current tense situation between China and Japan during an interview.

Although Ishiba refused to directly comment on Takahashi's incorrect statements, citing "not being present and not understanding the situation," his remarks were implicitly critical of Takahashi's comments.

For example, Ishiba said: "Diplomacy is not something that can be done at will; it's not about boosting support ratings, saying whatever one wants."

"The question of 'what should Japan do if something happens in Taiwan' should not be openly discussed, but rather needs careful study of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty and a serious assessment of the military strength of the People's Liberation Army."

"If things could be summarized in a few words like an advertisement title, everyone wouldn't have to work so hard."

These statements all imply that Takahashi's remarks on Taiwan that day were reckless and impulsive.

Additionally, Ishiba, who claims to be a student of Tanaka Kakue, once again emphasized that the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations is a political legacy left by Tanaka Kakue for Japan. Every successive Japanese government has handled Sino-Japanese relations with great caution, and he hopes that the current Takahashi cabinet will fully recognize this and proceed with future work based on this principle.

It should be said that Ishiba's remarks that day continued his consistent position.

Although Ishiba belongs to the right-wing in the Japanese political spectrum, he is one of the rare清醒派 (clear-minded figures) among contemporary Japanese right-wing politicians. His speech on the 80th anniversary of the end of the war demonstrated this—his entire speech actually expressed only one idea, that Japan must think carefully about the consequences of the accelerating right-wing ideology.

But unfortunately, in the current Japanese political atmosphere, Ishiba's warnings against populism and narrow nationalism are not accepted by the public opinion, while politicians like Takahashi, who only shout extreme slogans, can rise to the forefront.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849580857444364/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.