中文
People attend a protest in front of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, November 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
By Zhou Xin
Despite Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent gravely erroneous remarks on Taiwan that strained China-Japan relations, the Japanese government, instead of correcting the mistake, has resorted to highly orchestrated diplomatic theatrics. It is now proclaiming its supposed "willingness to engage in dialogue with China."
Takaichi herself insists she is "open to dialogue," senior Japanese officials are repeatedly emphasizing their desire to "improve bilateral relations through dialogue at all levels," and Japanese media outlets are aggressively portraying Japan as consistently seeking dialogue while accusing China of being uncooperative. The implication is that Beijing is to blame for the current downturn in bilateral ties.
This is a disingenuous approach by Japan. It avoids addressing the damage to bilateral relations caused by its prime minister's egregious remarks, attempts to depict the perpetrator as the victim, and even goes so far as to make unfounded accusations against the actual victim. In doing so, it intentionally obscures the root cause of the current impasse, disregards the judgment of the international community and evades historical and practical responsibility.
It is perfectly clear that the cooldown in China-Japan relations is entirely the fault of the Japanese side.
Takaichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan, advocating for possible military intervention in the Taiwan Straits, gravely undermined China's core interests, shattered the political foundation of China-Japan relations and provoked outrage and condemnation across China. This provocation is the undeniable origin of this crisis.
Moreover, despite China's solemn representations, Japan has refused to retract these remarks, attempting instead to brush the matter aside with the hollow phrase, "The Japanese Government's position remains unchanged."
Additionally, Tokyo has resorted to sophistry and blame-shifting, using rhetorical gestures ostensibly expressing "willingness to engage in dialogue" to cover up its wrongdoing. It is precisely Japan's repeated errors that have continuously escalated tensions between the two sides.
While Japan repeatedly touts dialogue, genuine engagement is not a performative act; it requires the fundamental prerequisites of sincerity and accountability.
In 2000, former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in east China, and said with deep remorse: "History must never be allowed to repeat itself." Such a gesture, facing history squarely, is the true way to meaningful exchange.
Other Japanese politicians, however, display a profound lack of such introspection. The Takaichi administration, risking universal condemnation, has attempted to revise the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" – not possessing, not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons, in line with Japan's pacifist constitution, and pushed for loosening weapons export restrictions.
It has now crossed the line with the recent provocation on the Taiwan question, fully exposing the ambition of Japan's right-wing forces to revive militarism.
People attend a protest in front of the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, November 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama recently posted a comment on social media platform X, quoting Confucius: "If you make a mistake, do not hesitate to correct it. Failing to correct a mistake is what we call a mistake." He urged Takaichi to correct her erroneous stance promptly.
Actions speak louder than words. History and reality have repeatedly proven that dialogue without reflection is meaningless and only intensifies confrontation. This impasse can be resolved only by sincerely correcting the wrong and strengthening foundations through introspection.
Japan must recognize the reality that the Taiwan question is China's internal affair and lies at the very core of China's core interests. It is the political foundation of China-Japan relations. The Taiwan question is laid out in the four political documents between China and Japan to which the Japanese government made a solemn commitment.
There is no room whatsoever for ambiguity or misinterpretation. Whichever political party or person is in power in Japan, they must always abide by the commitment on the Taiwan question. Japan must cease its meaningless diplomatic posturing and take concrete actions such as retracting its erroneous statements and engaging in genuine reflection. That is the only viable way to put China-Japan relations back on track.
Zhou Xin is an observer on international affairs, focusing on the Asia-Pacific region.
