It’s 2025-11-28, and tensions between Japan and the Chinese mainland are heating up over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on Taiwan. What started as a controversial comment about potential military intervention in the Taiwan Strait has now blown up into a full-blown diplomatic chill. 😶🌫️
This month, Tokyo has ramped up what looks like a PR show: "We’re open to dialogue with the Chinese mainland at all levels!" ministers say, while Japanese media paint the Chinese mainland as the uncooperative party. But here’s the catch—no real apology, no real retraction. It feels more like a dodge than a dialogue. 🤔
It all traces back to Takaichi’s comments earlier this month, which Beijing saw as gravely undermining its core interests and the political foundation of China-Japan relations. China’s solemn representations were met with a shrug: "The Japanese Government's position remains unchanged," Japan replied, brushing off the storm they caused. 🌩️
True engagement isn’t just lip service. It needs sincerity and accountability. Remember 2000, when former PM Toshiki Kaifu visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in east China? His words—"History must never be allowed to repeat itself"—showed genuine remorse and respect for history. That’s the kind of honesty that actually moves the needle. 🙏
The current Takaichi administration, meanwhile, is flirting with militaristic moves—pushing to revise the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" (not possessing, not producing, and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons) and ease weapons export rules. Now, with Taiwan in the crosshairs, many see this as a sign that Japan’s right-wing forces are reviving old militarism. 🚨
For young Asia-Pacific readers keeping an eye on global shifts, this saga is more than just high-level drama. It’s a reminder: true dialogue demands more than statements—it demands trust, history-awareness, and real action. Let’s see if Tokyo walks the talk. 👀
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There can be no genuine dialogue without reflection and retraction
cgtn.com
