Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya. (©Kyodo)
このページを 日本語 で読む
China is struggling with economic hardship and wary of a likely tougher stance toward it from the incoming Trump administration. Therefore, it's wooing allies of the United States with sweet talk, including the Ishiba administration, without offering anything substantive in terms of closer engagement.
We cannot help but fear that the Ishiba administration has fallen head over heels into a seduction trap set by the Chinese.
Recently Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. The two men reaffirmed a commitment to comprehensively promote a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.
They also agreed that Wang would visit Japan early in 2025. Furthermore, Japan promised that a "high-level economic dialogue" would take place during that visit.
According to the meeting readout, Iwaya said, "We hope that this will serve as a first step towards mitigating [bilateral] issues and concerns and increasing cooperation and collaboration."
Promises with No Benefits
Meanwhile, they were also part of the "high-level people-to-people and cultural exchange dialogue" held in Beijing. There, the Japanese side announced it would institute a new multiple-entry tourist visa for Chinese nationals. Moreover, it would be good for repeated use over 10 years.
Isn't this going entirely too easy on China? Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has boasted that his brief November meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping proved they were a "good fit." Now Iwaya has shown himself as oblivious to reality as the Prime Minister.
During their meeting, Wang reportedly said, "Minister Iwaya has consistently emphasized the importance of China-Japan relations, and I would like to highly commend him for that." However, such effusive praise is certainly no cause for joy. Although China has been zealously trying to cozy up to the Ishiba administration, its actual behavior toward Japan hasn't changed.
New Intrusions into Japanese Waters
Iwaya noted that a new Chinese maritime buoy has been spotted in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Chinese vessels dropped it between the Sakishima Islands in Okinawa Prefecture at the southernmost end of the Japanese Archipelago and Taiwan. Although Iwaya protested this intrusion and demanded its immediate removal, that alone was hardly sufficient.
Instead, the foreign minister should have demanded the prompt removal of all Chinese buoys in the Japanese EEZ. That includes those closer to Japan as well. He should also have given the Chinese the unambiguous message that unless they removed the buoys within a short period, Japan would remove them or neutralize them.
Security and Fairness Nowhere to be Seen
Japanese nationals arrested by Chinese authorities on suspicion of espionage remain in custody in China.
Furthermore, despite protests, Beijing has not provided details regarding the case of the stabbing to death of a Japanese schoolchild.
China's ban on imports of Japanese seafood also remains in effect.
Most regrettably, Iwaya did not seek the extradition of the Chinese suspect who defaced property at the Yasukuni Shrine before fleeing to China. A man who lacks proper respect for the spirits of the war dead is unfit to serve as foreign minister.
Kowtowing Must Stop
What we need now is not kowtowing to Beijing. Rather, it is time to align our perceptions and strategies on China with key figures in the incoming Trump administration.
Japan is of course an independent country that decides its own foreign policy. However, there is no denying that China poses a major military threat. Rather than celebrating superficial "communication" with China, close cooperation with our allies is needed now.
RELATED:
- A Trump-Wary Beijing Woos Kansai Business Delegation with Charm Offensive
- China Faces Economic Strain Amid Rising Oppression and Tariffs
- A Glimpse Into the Chinese 'Garbage Time of History'
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
このページを 日本語 で読む
