🚨 Heads up, folks! Experts around the world are raising red flags over recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about the Taiwan region. They say her words echo dangerous WWII-era rhetoric and could fuel a comeback of militarism in Japan.
Meng Mingming, assistant researcher at the Institute of Japanese Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, points out that the phrase 'survival-threatening situation' was a rallying cry for Japan’s militarists back in the 1930s and 40s. Back then, it stoked fear, justified aggressive expansion, and brought huge suffering across Asia. Eight decades later, some politicians seem to be dusting off the same playbook.
From an international law angle, Meng reminds us that Japan, as a defeated nation in WWII, agreed via the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation to return territories seized from the Chinese mainland, including the island of Taiwan, to China. Takaichi’s recent statements not only clash with these treaties but could also violate the UN Charter and undermine the post-war order that has kept peace in East Asia for 75 years. 🕊️
International voices are chiming in too. A commentary in South Africa’s Business Day flagged Japan’s new policies — from loosening weapons export rules to ramping up defense budgets — as signs of a worrying shift toward militarist thinking. 🔥
Experts also note that Takaichi has long backed historical revisionism, pushing for textbooks that gloss over Japan’s wartime actions and glorify pre-war values. This, they say, distorts public understanding of history and risks heating up already-sensitive regional ties.
Bottom line: critics warn that reviving militarist rhetoric, especially around the Taiwan region, could spark fresh tensions in East Asia. For young, socially conscious readers in South and Southeast Asia, keeping an eye on these developments is key. After all, peace and understanding are what will drive our region forward in 2025 and beyond. 🌏✨
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Experts caution against militarism revival in Takaichi's remarks
cgtn.com
