Vietnamese, Malaysian experts criticize Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's provocative remarks on the Taiwan question, which is an internal affair of China, have drawn fresh criticism from experts in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Malaysia, who said such rhetoric is detrimental to regional peace and stability.

Takaichi said on Nov. 7 during a Diet hearing that the Chinese central government'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.

Commenting on Takaichi's remarks, Nguyen Minh Hoan, a standing member of the executive committee of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association expressed deep concern about regional stability.

"If Japan fails to handle this properly, such remarks could trigger something that would lead to instability in regional relations. What should be noted in particular is that such comments might directly affect the current Northeast Asian situation, or even the global situation," said Nguyen Minh Hoan.

Lim Wen Jye, senior researcher at Malaysia's Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research, offered a critical perspective grounded in historical accountability.

"Behind Takaichi's rhetoric lies a disregard for history and an evasion of responsibility for aggression. They could one again harm its already victimized Asian neighbors. Such remarks not only threaten regional peace but also undermine the mutual trust mechanisms that Asian countries have worked so hard to build over the years," said Lim.

Vietnamese, Malaysian experts criticize Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan

Vietnamese, Malaysian experts criticize Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan

Vietnamese, Malaysian experts criticize Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan

Vietnamese, Malaysian experts criticize Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan

China's rise has presented significant economic opportunities for Pakistan and the wider region, marking a new chapter in the "ironclad" Pakistan-China partnership, according to former Pakistani Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar.

In an interview with the China Media Group (CMG) during a recent visit to China, Kakar hailed the strength and resilience of the bilateral relationship, which has often dubbed as an "ironclad" friendship between the two neighboring nations.

"When it comes to the 'ironclad' phrase, actually it means our relation with resilience, with time testing challenges which has happened in the history of both nations and countries. And both have fulfilled one another's expectations, while at times even beyond expectations," he said.

Kakar also highlighted the positive spillover effect that China's peaceful rise has brought to Pakistan and the broader world, noting that Pakistan is committed to strengthening ties with China to maximize these benefits.

"So this relationship is just not in terms of a strategic arena, but also in an economic arena. Pakistan feels that the rise of China has never been a threatening China. It is a China which is self-confident, which offers economic opportunities not just for its domestic population, but for its [wider] neighborhood, for its region, for the entire globe. We should not forget that the Chinese production capacity, post-1979 particularly, is primarily responsible for keeping inflation in check at a global level. It was the cheap production cost of Chinese goods to different consumers across the globe," said Kakar.

The two countries agreed to commence the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) back in 2013, which has served as the cornerstone of the two countries' all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and led to developments such as the Gwadar Port.

Kakar said this is an example of the fruits and economic benefits afforded by the strong ties between the two sides.

"The economic opportunity which China is offering to Pakistan is translating another chapter to that ironclad long journey and relationship, and we hope that we will benefit from the economic front as much as we benefited on the strategic front with the Chinese friendship," he said.

Economic opportunities open new chapter in China-Pakistan ironclad relationship: former PM