By Pan Wanli
On April 27, Sanae Takaichi, a Japanese Diet member and former economic security minister, led a delegation to China's Taiwan region. At a time when China-Japan relations are steadily improving, such schemes by Japanese right-wing politicians like Sanae Takaichi not only undermine the interests of both countries but also risk disrupting the hard-won momentum toward better bilateral ties.
Sanae Takaichi's visit to Taiwan of China at this particular moment is primarily intended not only to raise her political profile but also to stir the pot for Prime Minister and current Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Shigeru Ishiba. Sanae Takaichi, who fancies herself as the heir to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has maintained a tough stance on China and made no secret of her "Taiwan-independence" position. She has actively propagated the notion that "any contingency for Taiwan is a contingency for Japan" and openly criticized the policy of Shigeru Ishiba to China.
Shortly after Yasutoshi Nishimura, a core member of the former Shinzo Abe faction, recently reiterated the notion that "any contingency for Taiwan is a contingency for Japan," Sanae Takaichi promptly visited Taiwan. This series of actions by Japanese right-wing politicians has starkly revealed their obstinate stance on the Taiwan question. However, such behavior fails to address Japan's current internal and external challenges, and do not benefit their own political futures.
After the US launched the tariff war, Japan's economy and social development have been facing significant challenges, making the economic and trade ties with China even more valuable for Japan. During the sixth China-Japan High-level Economic Dialogue held at the end of March, the two sides reached twenty important agreements on strengthening green development cooperation, further promoting China-Japan third-party market cooperation, and continuing collaboration in the automotive sector. If Japan's right-wing actions cause a disruption in China-Japan relations at this juncture, it could jeopardize the newly reached economic and trade cooperation agreements and result in significant losses to Japan's national interests.
Secondly, the attempt of Sanae Takaichi to gain more support by visiting Taiwan is unlikely to succeed. Many members of the LDP are concerned that her hardline policies would not only alienate the party's domestic conservative base but also strain relations with both China and South Korea, putting Japan in a difficult diplomatic position. By eagerly serving as the tip of the spear of the anti-China forces, she is only alienating the more moderate factions within her own party, which could ultimately backfire and harm her political prospects.
There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China. The one-China principle is a prevailing international consensus, the political foundation of China-Japan relations, and a clear commitment made by Japan. However, high-profile Japanese right-wing politicians like Sanae Takaichi continue to meddle in the Taiwan Strait situation and interfere in China's internal affairs, repeatedly crossing China's political red lines. The more ambitious they are, the more bitter their failure will be. The wish of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces to rely on support from Japanese right-wing politicians is fundamentally doomed to fail.
(The author is an associate researcher of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies, CASS)
Editor's Note: Originally published on opinion.huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
