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GT: Why remarks that a 'Taiwan contingency could constitute a 'survival-threatening situation 'for Japan have sparked Chinese indignation: 22-11-2025
Why remarks that a 'Taiwan contingency' could constitute a 'survival-threatening situation' for Japan have sparked Chinese indignation: Bei Pingfeng
Illustration: Liu Rui /GT
Achieving national reunification and safeguarding national dignity have always been the shared will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, including the 23 million compatriots in Taiwan. It is precisely for this reason that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan, stating that a "Taiwan contingency" could constitute a"survival-threatening situation" for Japan, instantly ignited the collective anger of the Chinese people. Netizens left indignant comments such as, "The blood and tears of modern history must be repaid twofold," and, "she crossed China's red line and must be severely punished." The collective anger of the Chinese people is by no means a momentary emotional outburst, but the result of a combination of historical pain and current provocations. It is an inevitable reaction to infringements of national dignity and interests, and has deep and long-standing roots.
The collective anger of the Chinese people stems first and foremost from deeply ingrained historical humiliation. After the Opium War, Western powers used gunboats to force China's doors open. The weak and incompetent feudal rulers allowed China to fall into a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society. The label "Sick man of Asia" and the humiliation of signs reading "Dogs and Chinese Not Admitted" have left indelible scars on the national memory.
The harm inflicted by Japan was particularly profound. Under the Treaty of Shimonoseki, signed after the defeat of then Qing government of China in the First Sino-Japanese War in 1985, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were ceded to Japan, beginning 50 years of colonial rule. During that period, Japan implemented forced assimilation, plundered resources and wealth, and suppressed resistance. Countless Taiwan compatriots endured oppression and exploitation. During the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the iron heel of Japanese militarism trampled across most of China, committing atrocities of burning, killing, looting, and plundering, leaving the country devastated and its people suffering immensely. As Cho-yun Hsu, a Chinese-born American historian and sinologist who passed away in August, once said, "The word 'China' is engraved in my heart." This history is not a dusty pile of old papers, but a painful memory ingrained in the blood of the nation. The Japanese invasion and colonial rule of Taiwan remain a deep wound for the Chinese nation. Takaichi's words and actions undoubtedly rub salt into that wound and reopen those scars. How can such indifference and provocation toward the suffering of the Chinese nation not infuriate the Chinese people?
The collective anger of the Chinese people is a strong response to the blatant infringement on the nation's core interests. The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and national reunification has been the shared aspirationof generations of Chinese people. From the poor and weak old China to the increasingly powerful new China, the will to safeguard territorial integrity and achieve national reunification has never wavered.
Since modern times, the Chinese nation has endured countless hardships. It was precisely because of national division and weakness that it was repeatedly bullied by foreign powers. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese people embarked on an independent path and worked hard to rise ,prosper and grow strong. Through the unremitting efforts of several generations, they have shaken off the fate of being at others' mercy and ushered in a bright prospect of national rejuvenation.
Takaichi's words and actions are essentially an attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs and to challenge the one-China principle. Some media outlets have reported that she plans to revise the "three non-nuclear principles," restore old military rank titles, and allow US nuclear weapons to be stationed in Japan. This signals a dangerous resurgence of militarism among Japanese right-wing forces, intolerable to the Chinese people and unacceptable to peace-loving people worldwide.
The collective anger of the Chinese people also stems from their unwavering defense of national dignity. More than a century of struggle shows that national dignity is not won through compromise and concession, but through relentless self-improvement, courageous struggle, and the courage to fight. From resistance in the Opium War to the nationwide struggle during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and through the hard work that followed the founding of the new China, the Chinese people have demonstrated through their actions a national character of "never being intimidated by bullies and always valuing independence and forging ahead."
Today's China is no longer the weak nation it once was. Its national defense capabilities have greatly improved, and its international influence continues to rise. The stronger China becomes, the more it cherishes the hard-won peace and the more firmly it defends its national dignity and interests. Takaichi's words and actions disregard historical facts and the Chinese people's unwavering determination to defend national sovereignty. This blatant affront to national dignity will inevitably provoke strong indignation.
"We treat our friends with fine wine, but for our enemies we have shotguns." The Chinese people do not provoke others, but they are not afraid of provocation. They have always cherished peace and have never feared confrontation. Takaichi's provocation, which infringes on China's core interests, is destined to be met with the strongest countermeasures. The Chinese people keep their word. Anyone who dares to cross China's red line and challenge its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity will inevitably face a crushing defeat and pay a heavy price in the face of the impregnable defenses of the People's Liberation Army.
The author is a commentator on international affairs. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
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