A stitch in time will save Japan nine

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly's plenary meeting on Security Council reform on Tuesday, China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong said that Japan is "totally unqualified" to seek a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

This is a justified position. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's provocative remarks on Taiwan in the Diet on Nov 7 were not only gross interference in China's internal affairs, they were also an affront to international justice.

As Fu correctly pointed out, her remarks were "extremely erroneous and dangerous", as they deny the postwar international order, trample on the basic norms of international relations and represent a blatant departure from Japan's commitment to peaceful development.

Her remarks, which run counter to Japan's commitments enshrined in the four political documents between China and Japan, have done grave damage to bilateral relations and sparked concern both within and outside Japan.

Should Takaichi continue to challenge the one-China principle as a cornerstone of the postwar order, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, has left her no room to plead ignorance. When answering a question concerning Takaichi's recent remarks on Taiwan, Dujarric said that the official position of the UN on Taiwan is based on the relevant General Assembly Resolution 2758. And in addressing a follow-up question for confirmation that the official language in documents is still Taiwan, a province of China, he said "I'm not aware of any change in General Assembly texts", adding that every member state should support and respect the UN Charter.

As Fu pointed out, given Takaichi's egregious remarks, how can Japan's professed commitment to peaceful development be trusted? How can it be trusted to uphold fairness and justice? How can it be trusted to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security?

On Sunday, citing the growing number of crimes against Chinese citizens in Japan, the Ministry of Education released an overseas study alert, advising Chinese students to plan their studies prudently. On the same day, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also issued a cautionary travel notice for Chinese tourists.

Needless to say, these warnings are making Chinese people think twice about studying in Japan or visiting the country. Already, tens of thousands of Chinese tourists have reportedly canceled trips to Japan.

And Japan's self-made troubles do not end there. On Wednesday, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, said that under the current circumstances, even if Japanese seafood were exported to China, there would be no market for it. She also stressed that if Japan continues on its erroneous course, China will have no choice but to take severe and resolute countermeasures.

Japan should bear all the consequences of Takaichi's irresponsible remarks. Her attempts to distort, deny and glorify Japan's history of aggression and colonial rule and the ascendancy of ultrarightist sentiment in Japan have produced an international wave of concern at the possible consequences of militarism raising its ugly head in Japan again.

Japan's history of aggression has left lasting scars on neighboring countries, and its stubborn unwillingness to reflect on its wrongdoings has led to them festering. Takaichi's whitewashing of Japan's historical aggression and her accelerated remilitarization agenda have only served to rub more salt in the wounds.

Takaichi's rhetoric in the Japanese parliament that the Dokdo islands, or Takeshima islets as the Japanese call them, are Japan's "inherent territory" has sparked anger in the Republic of Korea. The ROK's Foreign Ministry responded quickly by summoning the Japanese ambassador to Seoul to lodge a protest, strongly urging Japan to correct its erroneous stance.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that Japanese militarism brought profound disasters to Asia and the world, and caused Japan to pay a heavy price. She urged Takaichi and her like-minded Japanese politicians to deeply reflect on history and be wary of the serious consequences that their erroneous words and actions may cause.

Despite the regional alarm, it seems Takaichi is determined to continue down the wrong path: According to Japanese media reports, under growing pressure from nationalist conservatives, she is considering paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine, which honors convicted war criminals among others, next month. Something most previous Japanese leaders have refrained from doing in their official capacity as prime minister.

The Japanese leader should know that such a visit will drag Japan into an abyss of mistrust. "Normalization" will be an even more elusive aspiration for Japan if Takaichi continues on her current trajectory.