A Singaporean scholar has said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent erroneous remarks concerning China's Taiwan region could cause potentially irreversible damage to China-Japan relations as she looks to advance her own political interests.
Takaichi recently said that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait. Despite multiple representations from China, the Japanese side has refused to retract the remarks.
The provocative rhetoric of the Japanese prime minister has triggered widespread global condemnation, with many analysts warning her comments even threaten regional stability.
Giving his analysis on the situation in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Ryu Yongwook, an assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore, believes Takaichi's remarks came with a complete disregard to the harm they would cause bilateral relations as he noted some of the severe implications they could cause.
"The first is the deterioration of the PRC-Japan bilateral relations, which is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the region. The relationship was already quite frosty, to be honest, but it has gotten even worse after Takaichi's remarks, as Beijing really has no choice but to retaliate. Now the [issue has] spread in the public discourse, neither side can back down, but I know that the two sides are trying their best to bring the situation under control, but the damage has been done," he said.
Takaichi has also faced criticism from within her own country, with opposition leaders saying she "went too far" in her remarks and warning relations between Japan and China have now reached a very tense situation as a result, according to local media reports.
Ryu believes the current controversy will enable Takaichi to push forward her own political interests, including her hawkish policy goals.
"She's a known security hawk in Japan, and the U.S. is putting quite a bit of pressure on Japan to increase its defense budget, a move that would not be so welcomed by the Japanese public, who is more concerned with social welfare, concerned with controlling the ever increasing government debts of the Japanese government. But now with the spat with China, an increase in Japan's defense budget would be more tolerable and easier to justify by the Japanese government under Takaichi," he said.
Hawkish Japanese PM's damaging remarks seek to serve own political interests: Singaporean scholar
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that mediation efforts of the Pakistani side regarding the Middle East tensions are in the common interests of all parties.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in his talks with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.
During their talks, the two sides exchanged views on current international issues and regional conflicts.
Wang welcomed the visit of the Pakistani side to Beijing for discussion on easing tensions in the Middle East, just after its holding of a quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Islamabad.
He said China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation and resuming peace talks. This process is no easy task, and Pakistan's mediation efforts are in line with the common interests of all parties, Wang added.
He noted China is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to end the hostilities as soon as possible, create opportunities for peace and open the window for peace talks.
On bilateral ties, Wang said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, calling on both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and constantly advance the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
For his part, Dar said the Pakistan-China friendship is precious and deeply rooted in people's hearts, adding that Pakistan is willing to work with China to promote the continuous development of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Dar thanked China for supporting Pakistan's mediation of the situation in Iran, adding that the current conflict has disrupted international energy supplies and caused heavy damage to developing countries.
Noting that solutions can only be found through negotiation, Dar said Pakistan is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to push all parties to start peace talks as soon as possible and restore regional peace.
The two sides also put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East region:
I. Immediate cessation of hostilities: China and Pakistan call for immediate cessation of hostilities and utmost efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to all war-affected areas.
II. Start of peace talks as soon as possible. Sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable option to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks.
III. Security of nonmilitary targets. The principle of protecting civilians in military conflict should be observed. China and Pakistan call on parties to the conflict to immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets, and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law, and stop attacking important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.
IV. Security of shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, together with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy. China and Pakistan call on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible.
V. Primacy of the United Nations Charter. China and Pakistan call for efforts to practice true multilateralism, to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations, and to support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realizing lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Pakistan's mediation efforts in common interests of all parties: Chinese FM
