Japan races to limit fallout from Chinese embassy break-in

Japan has moved swiftly to contain the diplomatic fallout after a member of its Self-Defence Forces broke into the Chinese embassy in Tokyo last week. But observers and local media say the incident has given Beijing an opening to reinforce claims of rising militarism and anti-China sentiment in Japan. Yoshinobu Kusunoki, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, on Monday called the break-in on March 24 “extremely unusual and serious”, adding that it “should not have happened”. His remarks echoed those of Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who earlier said it was “deeply regrettable that a member of the Self-Defence Force, who is expected to abide by the law, has been arrested on suspicion of trespassing”. The suspect, Kodai Murata, 23, a second lieutenant based at Camp Ebino in Miyazaki prefecture, was detained inside the embassy compound. He told police he wanted to “convey my opinions to the ambassador” – specifically, to urge China to abandon what he regarded as its hardline stance towards Japan. He also said he had a knife and intended to kill himself with it if his demand was refused. Chinese media went further, reporting that Murata had threatened to harm diplomatic personnel “in the name of god”, a claim Japanese authorities have disputed. Police later searched both his barracks and his personal residence. The speed and contrition of Tokyo’s official response did little to blunt the reaction in China, however. State media seized on the episode, with the Global Times publishing an editorial the day after the break-in declaring it “a mirror reflecting the grim reality of rampant far-right ideology and the resurgence of militarism within Japan today”. Xinhua followed on Saturday, quoting Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian as saying the incident “once again highlights the danger of the rampant spread of far-right impact and neo-militarism in Japan” and accusing Tokyo of “erroneous policies on vital issues concerning China-Japan relations, such as history and Taiwan”, as well as failing to protect Chinese diplomatic premises. Bilateral ties were already at a low ebb since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Diet in November that a military “contingency” around Taiwan could constitute a threat to Japan requiring a military response. The comments enraged Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including Japan, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, though the US and its allies oppose any forcible takeover and Washington is committed to supplying the self-governed island with weapons. Conditioned for enmity Japan’s conservative Sankei newspaper condemned the officer’s actions as “utterly unforgivable criminal activity” but dismissed China’s “neo-militarism” framing as “absurd”, arguing that any anti-Chinese sentiment within Japan flows from long-standing, concrete disputes such as the competing claims over the Diaoyu Islands, which Tokyo calls the Senkakus. Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at the Tokyo branch of Temple University, said Beijing would “milk the situation for all it is worth”. “China is pressing hard, but Japan has already expressed regret and an investigation is under way, so one has to wonder what China considers to be a suitable response,” he said. Kingston predicted that a heavy-handed Chinese reaction could cause a rebound effect, further consolidating support around Takaichi. He added that reports of anti-Chinese sentiment within the ranks of Japan’s military were hardly surprising given the operational reality its personnel faced daily. “It’s hard to imagine anyone living in the bubble of the SDF not being conditioned to regard China as the enemy and the response only reinforces that image.” Claims of “distorted education and far-right ideology” being rampant throughout the military were wide of the mark, Kingston said.

Japan races to limit fallout from Chinese embassy break-in

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese state media seized on the breach as proof of Japan’s militarism and ‘rampant far-right ideology’

Chinese state media seized on the breach as proof of Japan’s militarism and ‘rampant far-right ideology’