Dragon's wrath: Chinese media's unrelenting criticism of Fumio Kishida and Japan

In the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s historic visit to Japan on 16 March, 2023, which marked the first South Korean presidential visit to Japan in over a decade and sought to reestablish relations long frozen since 2011, there has been a notable uptick in negative commentary from Chinese media outlets directed towards Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Undoubtedly, the recent decision by Japan and South Korea to set aside their differences and work in tandem is attributable to the ongoing rapid modernisation of China’s military capabilities, coupled with the alarming frequency of North Korean missile tests of varying capacities. This situation has given rise to grave concerns for both Tokyo and Seoul. Immediately after his meeting with the South Korean president, the Japanese prime minister welcomed the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and subsequently flew to New Delhi and Kyiv for meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky respectively. His Kyiv visit was of course under wraps until he landed there. Perhaps anticipating a respite after Prime Minister Kishida took off from New Delhi, the Chinese media was taken aback by his surprise trip to Ukraine from New Delhi, prompting yet another bitter tirade against the Japanese leader. Coinciding with these events was the emergence of a Japanese poem, written by an anonymous individual and posted on a Twitter handle unrelated to geopolitical activities. The poem uncannily mirrored the situation faced by the Chinese media, and its appearance at nearly the same time as Kishida’s visit was either a matter of fate or intentional timing. The grumbler Finally stands up to leave Then grumbles for an hour. JAPANESE POEM (Anon) It is widely acknowledged that Chinese media outlets have displayed a belligerent attitude towards countries that are not aligned with the Chinese government. While the United States has been a frequent target, other nations, such as Japan, India, Australia, and Canada, have also been subjected to vitriolic commentary from the Chinese media. Fuming against Japanese diplomacy In an editorial published by the Global Times, entitled Japan’s diplomacy is heading toward ‘abnormalization’, the State-owned publication aggressively accused Japan’s “active diplomacy” of causing “serious damage” to regional trust and peaceful relations. The editorial expressed firm opposition to what it referred to as “this kind of Japanese diplomacy,” contending that Japan’s pursuit of so-called “normalization” has, in reality, pushed the country towards “abnormalization” through a gradual process. The Chinese media reacted angrily to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s efforts to improve relations with South Korea, Germany and India within a single week, citing the security situation in East Asia, which is indeed a cause for concern. From a propaganda perspective, the State-owned Global Times often boasts about China’s development of new weaponry and massive military exercises on land, in the air, and at sea. The People’s Daily Online has a section that is primarily dedicated to China’s military, making Prime Minister Kishida’s efforts to highlight legitimate concerns entirely appropriate. Belittling Fumio Kishida’s India trip Although it is commonplace for heads of state or government to embark on international visits to foster bilateral relations, the Chinese media exhibited palpable discontent upon Prime Minister Kishida’s arrival in New Delhi to confer with his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India and Japan enjoy a close-knit bilateral partnership that is characterised by unparalleled trust and depth, surpassing India’s rapport with China. The Chinese media’s unease is attributed to Prime Minister Modi being the third global leader to hold talks with Prime Minister Kishida, subsequent to his meetings with South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol and Germany’s Olaf Scholz. The Chinese media has hypothesized that the ongoing “active diplomacy” - a term frequently employed by Global Times - is a clear manifestation of “bloc confrontation”, propelled by the United States and advanced by Japan, the present chair of the G20. China’s state-controlled media expressed apprehension that Japanese industrial chains may be redirected to India, resulting in an intensified alliance between the two nations in the defence sector. Prime Minister Kishida’s announcement of his new plan for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) during his visit to India was not well-received in China. According to the Global Times, the United States is permitting Japan to advance the new FOIP agenda while Washington is preoccupied with the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Global Times further alleges that Japan intends to weaponize this year’s G7 meeting against China, Russia, and North Korea. The Chinese media in no uncertain terms harboured suspicions that Prime Minister Kishida’s official visit to India was primarily motivated by the intention to sway New Delhi towards the Western camp and potentially persuade it to adopt a hardline stance against Russia. The Chinese media is of the opinion that if India were to align with the West in censuring Russia, it would serve as evidence of Japan’s escalating influence in global affairs. However, the Chinese media also claimed that such an endeavour may prove to be far more challenging than Japan anticipates. “While Tokyo is a proxy of Washington, New Delhi emphasizes its strategic autonomy. It has been taking a relatively neutral stance between the West and Russia in the Ukraine crisis, and maximizing its interests from its stance. It will not fully lean toward either side,” the Global Times said quoting Lan Jianxue, director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at China Institute of International Studies. Demonizing Kishida’s visit to Kyiv Visiting researcher at the Institute of Japan Studies, Liaoning University, Chen Yeng in Global Times commented , “Kishida’s surprise visit to Kiev is intended to demonstrate that Japan and other Western countries are like-minded partners and to emphasize that security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable.” Realistically speaking, in light of China’s strengthened bond with Russia, following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s official visit to Russia while Prime Minister Kishida was in Kyiv, Beijing holds limited authority in reproaching the Japanese premier for perceived endeavours to establish a bloc. Yeng further wrote in his piece, “… Kishida’s visit to Ukraine aims to show his personal adventurous spirit to the public, in an attempt to stimulate his cabinet’s approval rating via an “unexpected” diplomatic move, thereby consolidating the foundations of his administration.” Wasn’t President Xi’s visit to Moscow aimed at showing “his personal adventurous spirit to the public”? Wasn’t he attempting to create a cult of his own as the leading apostle of peace in trying to create a new world order? China has expressed its strong displeasure with the joint statement made by Prime Minister Kishida and Ukraine, which reportedly emphasized the “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow” sentiment. While Beijing may attempt to obscure the matter, China’s recurrent encroachment upon Taiwan’s territorial sovereignty in a confrontational manner is common knowledge. Numerous jets and vessels from China have repeatedly trespassed into Taiwan’s international boundaries, which is a matter of concern. Ironically, the Global Times editorial answers the same questions it raises. It says that Prime Minister Kishida had to go to Ukraine because all other heads of State of the G7 have already visited Kyiv and Japan being the chair for this edition of the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May was all the more a reason to visit Ukraine to be in solidarity with the rest of the members of the G7. Dragon should calm its fire The Chinese media has the right to express its support for the country’s foreign policies, but it would be more conducive to diplomatic discourse to employ a more amicable tone instead of resorting to vitriol. Constructive criticism is welcome, but it should be focused on guiding long-term global peace and prosperity, rather than sensationalizing and deviating from the actual topic. As a powerful voice in the international community, the Chinese media should uphold a dignified approach that reflects its stature, refraining from language that borders on mockery or abuse. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .