Era of China being bullied long gone
Japan is a neighbor of China with arguably the most complex historical ties. Their relationship, stretching more than 2,000 years, has been marked by rich cultural exchanges but also phases of painful hostilities.
In modern times, as Japan's national strength grew, it repeatedly targeted China with expansionist ambitions, incurring a historical debt that began with the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and continued through the occupation of Northeast China and the full-scale invasion that followed.
This is why China cannot ignore the far-right signals from Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, including her possible visits to the #YasukuniShrine, her denial of the #NanjingMassacre and the hyping up of the so-called "China threat".
Her blatant assertion in a Diet session that a "contingency" in Taiwan would be a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan is the most severe provocation on the Taiwan question since Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations were normalized in 1972. It's not surprising that this triggered a strong response from China.
When Japan started the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894, the country was significantly more powerful than China. China's national strength had declined rapidly while Japan was surging ahead through the reform of the Meiji Restoration.
However, the equation has now changed dramatically, with China surging ahead on all fronts. Across the board, from traditional sectors to emerging industries and from institutional efficiency to strategic vision, China now holds the advantage over Japan. China's GDP surpassed Japan's in 2010. By 2024, it was 4.7 times larger.
Given Japan's stagnation in emerging industries, the erosion of its traditional strengths and its shrinking economic footprint, should Takaichi and her supporters persist with provocations?
Japan's economic decline, shrinking strategic influence and diminished institutional strength mean that it can no longer support the costs of provoking China. Any attempt to cross China's red line is bound to backfire.
By Mei Xinyu
#Taiwan #TaiwanStrait
#Japan #TakaichiSanae #SanaeTakaichi
#高市早苗 #JapaneseMilitarism
