Array
The Chinese state propaganda newspaper Global Times published an editorial on Sunday threatening Japan with the same fate as Ukraine – a nation currently under siege and occupation by its much larger neighbor – in response to Prime Minister Kishida Fumio expressing concerns over Chinese military belligerence.
Kishida spent much of the past week attempting to shore up support for Japan’s national security from G7 member countries, including a stop in Washington to discuss both the Ukraine war and the threat of China with left-wing President Joe Biden. Kishida, a conservative, has for years promoted the development of a more advanced Japanese Self-Defense Forces – Japan does not have a formal military as a result of its behavior in World War II – and recently spearheaded the approval of the biggest military budget in recent Japanese history.
Japan currently holds the presidency of the G7, a coalition of seven of the world’s largest economies excluding Russia and China.
The Global Times, which serves as a mouthpiece for Beijing, warned that Japan itself was “turning itself into the ‘Ukraine of Asia’” by maintaining ties to Washington and pursuing its national security interests.
“If it continues to act as a pawn of the US in the Asia-Pacific region to stir up trouble here, Japan must be wary of becoming a victim itself of the US or even the Ukraine of East Asia,” the Global Times editorial board predicted. While the article cited Kishida’s remark that “Ukraine may be the East Asia of tomorrow” – which did not appear to be an expression of concern regarding an invasion of Japan itself – it reworked the phrase to directly threaten Japan.
Citing a regime-approved “expert” named Lian Degui, the state newspaper claimed that, “by stating ‘East Asia is the Ukraine of tomorrow,’ what Japan and the US mean is that they will hinder China’s reunification [with Taiwan].” Taiwan has never in its history been governed by a regime headquartered in Beijing, so technically it cannot be “reunified” with the current Chinese government.
“They want to put China in a dilemma where it has to use force, then shift the responsibility to the Chinese mainland and blame it for launching a war,” Lian predicted.
“If it continues to act as a pawn of the US in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan must be wary of becoming a victim of the US or even the Ukraine of East Asia,” the Times claimed.
Prior to his meeting with Biden, Kishida warned, “Ukraine may be the East Asia of tomorrow,” an apparent reference to the persistent threat that China will invade Taiwan at any time.
