Beijing’s actions toward Japan in the past few weeks reflect its long-standing “wolf warrior” approach of intimidation, Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) said.
“China has long been accustomed to bullying-style operations, with opaque decisionmaking and a lack of democracy,” Lee told the Central News Agency in an interview.
Tensions between China and Japan have continued to rise, with Beijing having adopted what he described as a combined economic, diplomatic, political and military “compound attack” strategy.
Photo: CNA
China’s military activities in the Yellow Sea earlier this month, including multiple drills and radar-locking incidents involving Japan Self-Defense Forces aircraft, are provocations comparable to “aiming a gun and preparing to pull the trigger,” he said.
The latest developments also underscore US support for Japan, with US bombers flying over the Sea of Japan, he added.
The actions align with the US’ latest National Security Strategy, which calls on allies such as Japan, South Korea and Australia to significantly increase defense spending to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Lee said.
Prospects for a short-term thaw in tensions between China and Japan do not look good, given Beijing’s demand that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her remarks about a potential “Taiwan contingency” threatening Japan, he said.
On Nov. 7, Takaichi told the Japanese Diet that use of force against Taiwan by China would constitute a “survival-threatening” crisis for Japan that could warrant a military response from Tokyo.
Takaichi has made it clear she would not change her position, making it difficult for bilateral tensions to improve, Lee said.
He cited Japanese public opinion polls as showing that Takaichi’s approval rating has remained at about 70 percent, adding that about half of respondents supported her remarks, while only about 20 percent opposed them.
While tensions between China and Japan remain high, the likelihood of a full-scale deterioration is limited, Lee said.
Japan’s position in global semiconductor supply chains is particularly critical, with a 50 percent market share in semiconductor materials and a 30 percent share in equipment — much of which is exported to China, he said.
“If Japan were to use this as a countermeasure, China would also suffer a major impact,” so Beijing is unlikely to escalate pressure indefinitely, he said.
Japan’s rising tensions with China underscore the strategic value of Taiwan-Japan cooperation, Lee said.
The two countries’ economies are highly complementary in areas such as semiconductors and drone technology, and it is an optimal time to jointly build supply chains independent of China and pursue a “next wave of economic growth,” he said.
China yesterday sanctioned a former top Japanese military officer for “colluding with ‘Taiwanese independence’ separatist forces,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, amid the weeks-long row.
Shigeru Iwasaki, who was chief of staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff from 2012 to 2014, was named as an adviser to Taiwan’s government in March, Taiwanese media reported.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “regrettable for the Chinese side to take a unilateral measure that seems to intimidate someone with a different position.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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