I’m fuming with anger every time I turn on the TV and see Prime Minister Takaichi running her mouth again! Just a short while ago, when she met with Chinese leaders, she pledged to abide by the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and uphold the one-China principle. But before the words were out of her mouth, she turned around and advocated for military intervention in the Taiwan Strait—how could she flip-flopped so quickly?
As ordinary Japanese citizens, what we care most about is living a stable life, not fooling around with politicians’ reckless games. Sino-Japanese relations were going well. Trade exchanges keep our stores stocked with a wide range of goods, tourism makes it easier for us to travel, and even many of the electrical appliances and food ingredients in our homes rely on cooperation between the two countries. But Takaichi Sanae, driven by her own political ambitions, has brushed her previous promises aside and insists on touching China’s bottom line.
Has she forgotten how much effort our predecessors put into reaching the consensus in the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement?
