Japan must reaffirm commitments and trust

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China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Monday that for Japan, the pressing task is to correct the erroneous words and deeds of its leaders on the Taiwan question as soon as possible; that what matters is to adopt a correct attitude on historical issues, and fundamentally, Japan needs to develop an objective and rational perception of China.

Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Takeshi Iwaya, President of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT) in Beijing.

This is a clear political message. It is also a reasonable description of the choices facing Japan.

To begin with, the Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It lies at the core of the political foundation of China-Japan relations.

Japan's postwar relationship with China was built on an understanding of this reality. The political documents signed between the two countries established the principles that have guided bilateral ties for decades. They created the basis for diplomatic normalization, economic cooperation and extensive people-to-people exchanges.

In the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, which marked the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Japan explicitly noted that it is "keenly conscious of" and "deeply reproaches itself" over its responsibility for war and that it "recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legal Government of China." The statement also notes that the Government of Japan "fully understands and respects" the position of the Chinese government that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the PRC.

When Japanese leaders make irresponsible remarks on the Taiwan question, they are not merely expressing a personal opinion. They are changing the political meaning of Japan's commitments and raising the risk of confrontation in East Asia. Such statements can encourage miscalculation, making crisis management more difficult when restraint is most needed.

The urgent task, therefore, is not to add another layer of strategic ambiguity. It is for Japan's leaders to clarify their position, correct their statements and reaffirm the political commitments that made normalization possible in the first place.

For China and other countries in the region, history is not a closed chapter that can be reopened only on commemorative occasions. It remains part of the political and moral foundation of postwar Asia. The suffering caused by Japanese aggression was not an unfortunate by-product of modernization or a misunderstanding among neighboring countries. It was the result of militarism and colonial expansion.

That is why attempts to minimize or revise this history continue to provoke legitimate concern. Visiting controversial war memorials, defending convicted war criminals, watering down textbook descriptions or portraying Japan solely as a victim of the war all contribute to historical distortion.

A responsible country does not lose dignity by acknowledging its past. On the contrary, genuine reflection is a source of political credibility. Japan's peace constitution, democratic institutions and economic cooperation helped it regain trust. Any attempt to weaken that framework or rehabilitate the ideology that produced wartime catastrophe would be a retreat, not a revival.

Yet the most fundamental challenge is the broader deterioration of Japan's understanding of China.

In recent years, China has increasingly been described in Japan through the language of threat. Economic competition is framed as coercion. Technological development is treated primarily as a security risk. Normal maritime activity is interpreted through the lens of confrontation. Cooperation becomes suspect simply because it involves China.

This approach is strategically shortsighted. China and Japan are close neighbors with deep economic, cultural and social connections. Their economies remain intertwined, and their populations face shared challenges. According to data released by the Japan Tourism Agency, tourists from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong contributed approximately 30% of total inbound tourism spending in Japan during the first three quarters of 2025.

Japan's business community, local governments, scholars and civic organizations have long maintained channels of communication with China. The JAPIT, which Wang described as a long-standing force for friendship, represents precisely this tradition. Its commitment to returning bilateral relations to the original purpose of the four political documents is important at a time when official ties are under strain.

Next year will mark the 55th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. It is an opportunity to ask whether both countries remain faithful to the principles that made normalization possible.

The answer depends heavily on Japan's choices. Correcting dangerous statements on Taiwan is the immediate requirement. Facing history honestly is the necessary political condition. Developing a balanced understanding of China is the long-term foundation.

The message from Beijing is ultimately a call for Japan to make a choice. The sooner Tokyo corrects course, the greater the chance that the next anniversary of diplomatic normalization will mark not another crisis, but a genuine return to peace, cooperation and mutual respect.

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