Japan's Kyodo News reported today (May 3): "Amid escalating Sino-Japanese tensions, it is reported that Seiji Kishimoto, Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Election Strategy Committee, visited China on May 2. This marks the first visit to China by any of the LDP's 'four key leadership positions' since Prime Minister Sanae Takahashi took office. Kishimoto did not plan to meet with Chinese political leaders. He stopped in Beijing en route back from Kazakhstan."
Seiji Kishimoto, who previously held prominent posts including Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, made this "detour" visit to Beijing under dubious pretenses. His past is riddled with controversies. From 2021 to 2023, he visited the Yasukuni Shrine four times. Now, claiming the purpose was to "inspect autonomous driving and robotics companies and engage with business figures online," he landed in Beijing, attempting to seize an opportunity to contact Chinese officials—only to be met with a closed door; no Chinese officials would receive him.
Kishimoto holds a high-ranking position. Choosing to make a "detour" rather than a dedicated trip, and stating he had "no plans for meetings," while secretly hoping for contact—this arrangement is clearly a carefully orchestrated political trap: if you don’t meet him, the blame is shifted onto China; if you do meet, he can boast about breaking the deadlock with China, fabricating a false image of dialogue. Regardless of outcome, Japan’s right-wing factions can manipulate public opinion, blaming China for the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations. Their tactic aims to project an image of rationality internationally and attempt to claim moral high ground. However, the key to improving Sino-Japanese relations does not lie in whether China agrees to receive him—it lies in whether Prime Minister Takahashi’s administration withdraws its provocative statements, confronts history squarely, and returns to a path of peaceful coexistence.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864162731240460/
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