You are correct. Beijing is not misinterpreting Takaichi’s words. She’s an idiot. A diplomatic disaster from day one. And there has been significant internal backlash to her wildly provocative and illegal remarks. 存立危機 my arse. Some of these right wing nutters believe Taiwan is still part of their precious 大日本帝国, despite it having been buried 80 years ago. Poodle/vassal syndrome, I suppose…
Thanks for your take. It seems to make sense. There is something weird happening to US vassals. They willingly throw themselves under the bus for the master.
A huge question I have is can South Korea be persuaded to choose dumping the U.S. when push comes to shove. That would be huge. Particularly amidst the seemingly imminent South Korean-led U.S. naval updating.
The issue is not that China misinterpreted Takaichi's words, it is that China believes that neighbouring countries do not have the right to exercise their own defence in their EEZ adjacent to Taiwan. It does not matter if the island of Taiwan is a country or part of the PRC, its EEZs overlap with Japan. If China implements a naval blockade surrounding Taiwan it will be placing military ships in Japan's EEZ, and potentially in its territorial waters. That's a threat to its existence. China knows this. All of the ground stopping is aimed at coercing Japan and the Philippines to give China a wide berth to implement its military strategy. Japan is merely putting China on notice that it won't.
EEZs cannot overlap, by definition. Unless Taiwan declares independence, China is not going to institute a blockade. This rhetoric is just US imperial stirring.
A malleable, interim PM installed at short notice by LDP heavyweights in the wake of the corruption scandal, to distract attention from Japan's economic crisis - JGB 20‑year government bond yield at a record 2.75%, yen at a nearly one year low against the US dollar, and national debt is 260% of GDP - $10.2 trillion. More reliable, a reality check by LDP power broker and Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara who categorically stated at a press conference that Japan’s stance on Taiwan “has not changed”, and "aims to support a peaceful solution between Beijing and Taipei."
It's impossible for anyone that knows recent history of East Asia - namely WWII and Cold War - to misunderstand Takaichi's words. Time for things to change. Though I hope that you Chinese don't become tyrannical yourselves in pursuing mad revenge instead of proper justice. For your own good.
You are correct. Beijing is not misinterpreting Takaichi’s words. She’s an idiot. A diplomatic disaster from day one. And there has been significant internal backlash to her wildly provocative and illegal remarks. 存立危機 my arse. Some of these right wing nutters believe Taiwan is still part of their precious 大日本帝国, despite it having been buried 80 years ago. Poodle/vassal syndrome, I suppose…
An idiot and a loser. It's so clear from her look.
Thanks for your take. It seems to make sense. There is something weird happening to US vassals. They willingly throw themselves under the bus for the master.
A huge question I have is can South Korea be persuaded to choose dumping the U.S. when push comes to shove. That would be huge. Particularly amidst the seemingly imminent South Korean-led U.S. naval updating.
Hubristic mental incapacity.
The issue is not that China misinterpreted Takaichi's words, it is that China believes that neighbouring countries do not have the right to exercise their own defence in their EEZ adjacent to Taiwan. It does not matter if the island of Taiwan is a country or part of the PRC, its EEZs overlap with Japan. If China implements a naval blockade surrounding Taiwan it will be placing military ships in Japan's EEZ, and potentially in its territorial waters. That's a threat to its existence. China knows this. All of the ground stopping is aimed at coercing Japan and the Philippines to give China a wide berth to implement its military strategy. Japan is merely putting China on notice that it won't.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-23/japan-to-deploy-missiles-to-island-near-taiwan-minister-says
EEZs cannot overlap, by definition. Unless Taiwan declares independence, China is not going to institute a blockade. This rhetoric is just US imperial stirring.
A malleable, interim PM installed at short notice by LDP heavyweights in the wake of the corruption scandal, to distract attention from Japan's economic crisis - JGB 20‑year government bond yield at a record 2.75%, yen at a nearly one year low against the US dollar, and national debt is 260% of GDP - $10.2 trillion. More reliable, a reality check by LDP power broker and Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara who categorically stated at a press conference that Japan’s stance on Taiwan “has not changed”, and "aims to support a peaceful solution between Beijing and Taipei."
It's impossible for anyone that knows recent history of East Asia - namely WWII and Cold War - to misunderstand Takaichi's words. Time for things to change. Though I hope that you Chinese don't become tyrannical yourselves in pursuing mad revenge instead of proper justice. For your own good.
https://substack.com/@lijingjing/note/c-178052669