Japanese PM’s remarks on China signal dangerous militarism revival

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s extremely erroneous and hostile remarks on China have raised global alarm that she is leading Japan on a course to reviving its notorious militarist past.

Recently, Takaichi said that the Chinese mainland’s “use of force on Taiwan” could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, implying the possibility of Japan’s armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait. So far, she has refused to retract her baneful remarks despite China’s solemn representations and strong protests lodged through diplomatic means, as well as criticism from her predecessors and other key Japanese figures.

Takaichi’s remarks remind people of Japan’s past imperialist aggressions and expose the country’s military ambitions. Over its history, Japan has launched aggression against many countries under the pretext of tackling so-called national survival crises, including its invasion of China from 1931 to 1945. Japanese wars of aggression have resulted in survival crises in multiple Asian countries and inflicted untold suffering on people in the region and beyond.

Takaichi’s fallacies regarding China are by no means an isolated incident but part of a broader agenda to accelerate renewed militarism. Behind these fallacies lie the paranoia and arrogance of Japanese right-wing forces seeking to break free from the country’s peace constitution and pursue the status of a “military power.”

In recent years, Japan has been drastically readjusting its security policy, increasing its defense spending, relaxing its restrictions on arms exports, seeking to develop offensive weapons, and going farther down the wrong path of military buildup.

Before taking office, Takaichi had repeatedly made anti-China statements, denied the Nanjing Massacre that Japanese troops had committed in China during their aggression, hyped up the “China threat” narrative, and made irresponsible remarks on the Taiwan question. She has made multiple visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists responsible for the war of aggression, and honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals with grave responsibilities for the war crimes committed during that war of aggression.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It is also the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration to China. China has firm determination, national unity, and strong capacity to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Japanese authorities should truly repent the country’s past militarist invasions, heed the lessons of history, and adhere to a path of peaceful development, instead of finding incendiary and deceptive excuses for its military buildup.

As ancient wisdom teaches, hubris precedes ruin. Takaichi’s recent remarks and actions related to China’s Taiwan have gravely impacted China-Japan relations. The Japanese prime minister would do well to withdraw her erroneous statements immediately, and to cease challenging China’s red-line core interests and the post-WWII international order. Dangerous political gambles in pursuit of militarism will only cause significant harm to Japan itself. 

Xinhua Commentary