CGTN poll | Global netizens call for firm resistance against any attempt to revive militarism

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's provocative remarks continue to attract criticism and condemnation from the international community. Behind her absurd comments is a scheme by Japan's right-wing forces to revive militarism. This has already seriously violated the Japanese Constitution, as well as the provisions of the UN Charter and the Potsdam Declaration, positioning Japan against the international community. According to an online poll released by CGTN, 87.1 percent of respondents strongly urge Japan to immediately withdraw its provocative remarks and call on all countries to unite in firmly opposing any effort to revive militarism.

Japan has committed in its Constitution to renounce the use of war, the threat of force, or force as a means of resolving international disputes. The Potsdam Declaration explicitly bans Japan from rearming. Additionally, the UN Charter states that the right of collective self-defense was established to protect international security and prevent the return of fascist forces. At the same time, Japan was restricted from exercising this right after World War Two. However, since taking office, the Japanese Prime Minister has consistently pushed beyond these limits, and various military actions have long raised international concern over Japan's tendency to revive militarism.

In the survey, 88.3 percent of respondents stated that the Japanese Prime Minister's war-inciting behaviors have seriously violated the Japanese Constitution and severely damaged Japan's national image and international reputation. 84.6 percent of respondents believe that the Japanese Prime Minister's provocative words and actions are unconstitutional and illegal, failing to meet Japan's obligations as a defeated country and seriously lacking legitimacy; 82.4 percent emphasize that Japan can only re-enter the international community as a normal country by fully addressing its historical crimes and eliminating militarist ideology.

It is important to note that the Potsdam Declaration explicitly states that Japan's sovereignty is limited to Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and other minor islands as determined by the Allied Powers. In recent years, Japan has continued to provoke territorial disputes with neighboring countries, ignoring the Declaration's provisions and consistently fueling geopolitical tensions in East Asia.

In response, 89.8 percent of respondents criticized Japan for disregarding legal principles and historical facts, seriously infringing on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring countries, and trying to undermine the postwar international order. Yoichi Masuzoe, former governor of Tokyo and an international political scholar, stated that international law clearly confirms Taiwan as part of China, and that "if Japan intervenes in the situation by military means, it should be regarded as an act of aggression." Besides, 92 percent of respondents said that documents like the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Declaration, and the UN Charter should be fully respected, condemning Japan's blatant violation of the international order.

The survey was published on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian platforms, with a total of 4,549 participants expressing their views within 12 hours.