Taiwan tensions put damper on celebration of 50 years of Sino-Japanese ties
- Poll finds nearly 90 per cent of Japanese have negative feelings towards China
- PLA fired missiles into waters Japan claims are part of its exclusive economic zone
In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he is still considering whether to attend a business event at the end of this month to commemorate the anniversary, even though it is being organised by Kochikai, the Liberal Democratic Party faction he heads, which has a history of actively promoting Sino-Japanese relations.
Kishida’s reluctance reflected his sensitivity to public criticism for being “pro-Chinese”, Shin Kawashima, a professor at Tokyo University, wrote in an article published by Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao newspaper on September 8.
“At present, nearly 90 per cent of the Japanese population have negative feelings towards China and being labelled ‘pro-Chinese’ could be fatal to politicians,” he wrote, referring to the results of a poll by Japanese think tank The Genron NPO.
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Mainland China launches largest military drill in the Taiwan Strait after Pelosi’s visit
