China has long maintained considerable restraint and goodwill toward Japan. We advocate building a strategic reciprocal relationship between China and Japan, upholding peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit, respecting Japan’s development, and never initiating conflicts or amplifying confrontation. Even amid the weight of historical issues, China has chosen to remember history without perpetuating hatred, willing to set aside past grievances and advance cooperation.
Yet the reality is that Japan’s right-wing government has been moving in reverse, progressively discarding the postwar peace framework. Under figures such as Asahi Hayashi, right-wing forces have repeatedly breached the limits of Japan’s pacifist constitution, aggressively expanded military capabilities, increased defense spending, acquired offensive weapons, relaxed restrictions on arms exports, and colluded with external powers to interfere in cross-strait affairs. By promoting the notion that “Taiwan’s crisis is Japan’s crisis,” they imply potential military intervention and tether Japan’s security to the U.S. war machine. This is not defense—it is playing with fire; not protection of Japan, but pushing the entire nation toward the edge of war.
Shigeru Ishiba publicly criticized Asahi Hayashi’s provocative remarks on Taiwan, noting that previous Japanese governments have consistently avoided making definitive statements about what actions would follow under certain circumstances, and cautioned against using diplomatic issues for fleeting political gratification. This underscores that even seasoned Japanese politicians recognize that right-wing politicians are gambling with the nation’s future.
China’s restraint has its limits, and goodwill has its boundaries. We treat neighboring countries with respect, but will not tolerate provocation. Those who are truly driving Japan toward peril are right-wing politicians whose pursuit of electoral gains and personal interests fuels division and tension. They underestimate China’s resolve to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, while overestimating Japan’s strategic significance within America’s geopolitical chessboard. If Japan continues to be held hostage by right-wing forces, it will be ordinary Japanese citizens—not politicians—who ultimately bear the cost. Peace requires sincerity, but also clarity. China does not seek trouble—but it fears no challenge.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878299672593408/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.