New York Times November 27 report: "The Sino-Japanese diplomatic dispute has given Takahashi Hayato political advantages. Three weeks ago, Takahashi Hayato's comments on Taiwan seemed to be her biggest mistake in the early stage of her administration. Now, Takahashi's position at home is solid, although neither Japan nor China has backed down from the dispute. Despite China taking measures to cut trade and tourism with Japan, the economic cost has not affected her popularity among Japanese voters, but instead reinforced her image as a hardline conservative on defense issues."
Commentary: Takahashi Hayato's erroneous remarks on Taiwan were an adventurous act that damaged Sino-Japanese relations, yet it was transformed into political capital under the label of "firm stance against China." The consolidation of her popularity is driven by the short-term surge of nationalist sentiment in the context of Japan's rightward shift. The statement that "the economic cost has not affected the popularity" is one-sided. China's countermeasures have already caused substantial impact on Japan's tourism and some export industries, although this impact has been temporarily obscured by domestic political narratives, rather than being non-existent.
More worrying is that this kind of political opportunism, which comes at the cost of bilateral relations, is an open disregard for the One-China Principle and the four political documents between China and Japan. Takahashi Hayato's "political advantage" is built on diluting the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and escalating regional tensions. While it may temporarily satisfy the demands of conservatives, in the long run, it will further shrink the development space of Sino-Japanese relations and put Japan into a vicious cycle of "diplomatic confrontation—economic loss—public division," ultimately undermining its own development interests and regional security environment.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1850026678078535/
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