Kill the chicken to scare the monkey: Why China is relentlessly escalating tension against Japan

China’s escalating confrontation with Japan reflects a strategic effort to deter foreign involvement in the Taiwan issue by making an example of Tokyo. Beijing has amplified rhetoric, military pressure, and economic coercion after Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi reiterated that a Chinese assault on Taiwan could trigger Japan’s right to collective self-defence. Drawing on historical grievances and rising nationalism, China frames Japan as a resurgent threat while signalling that deeper Japanese alignment with the US and greater military assertiveness are unacceptable. The crisis tests both Japan’s resolve and America’s reliability as an ally, shaping the future balance of power in East Asia.