Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, November 30 /Xinhua/ — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is clearly seeking to escalate relations with China. Her statements about the alleged impossibility of determining Taiwan's legal status and a general course toward remilitarization, along with her stated readiness to deploy medium-range missiles near Taiwan, are seriously exacerbating Japanese-Chinese tensions. The consequences of this for Japan's relations with China will be long-term and severe. Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (CCEIS HSE), stated this in a recent interview with Xinhua.
"This is yet another step by Japan aimed at escalating tensions with China, specifically in the context of Taiwan… It's clear that Sanae Takaichi is escalating tensions, hoping for some domestic political gains. But the consequences for relations with China will be long-term and severe," Kashin emphasized.
According to the Russian expert, "There are several reasons why Japan is taking these steps. Some are related to the relatively low popularity of the current Japanese cabinet and attempts to somehow bolster it. There's also the problem of Japan trying to emphasize and strengthen its alliance with the United States. There's also the problem of Sanae Takaichi's insufficient diplomatic experience, who may be doing certain things because she perhaps doesn't fully understand the unprecedented nature of what she's doing. After all, she hasn't worked in foreign policy in the past. Taken together, this is creating today's very serious cycle of escalating Japanese-Chinese tensions," the director of the HSE Center for Contemporary Economics and International Relations (CCIEIS) noted.
V. Kashin also believes that Japanese government statements about plans to revise the National Security Strategy and other doctrinal documents on Japan's defense, as well as unprecedented statements about Taiwan's status and the possibility of deploying American-made medium-range missiles near the island, represent a radicalization of existing trends. In Japan, there had been some statements on this topic before, by Sanae Takaichi's predecessors. "This was discussed. Now Sanae Takaichi has elevated the level of this discussion. It is now being discussed directly, openly, and at a higher level," the expert noted.
He recalled that Russia fully supports China on the Taiwan issue. There are a number of international legal acts and other decisions that clearly state that Taiwan is part of China. "Russia will interact with China as a partner; we have mutual obligations in this area," Kashin emphasized.
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