By Liz Lee and Tim Kelly
BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) -Chinese diplomats airing hawkish views, known as “wolf warriors”, have returned to the global stage, drumming up criticism of Japan’s prime minister in countries that suffered from its military actions during World War Two.
A fortnight after new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers that an attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival would trigger a military response from Tokyo, China has not slowed the momentum of the vitriol poured out on her.
“The international community should focus more on understanding Japan’s true intentions and whether Japan can still adhere to the path of peaceful development,” said Mao Ning, a foreign ministry spokesperson.
She was responding to a query about China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy, characterised by a pointed and often acerbic style of engagement on social media, made at a regular briefing on Friday.
In Tokyo, speaking shortly before her departure for a G2O leaders’ summit in South Africa, Takaichi said her position was unchanged and her comment did not represent a change in Japan’s policy toward Taiwan.
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China has repeatedly demanded retraction of the original remarks, failing which it has threatened more countermeasures, after warning citizens against travel to Japan, banning imports of its seafood, and voicing criticism by its diplomats abroad.
The original episode of “wolf warrior” diplomacy, dating from 2020 and taking its name from a popular Chinese movie franchise, marked a departure from the restraint that had long marked Beijing’s engagement with the world.
The first sign of China’s renewed tactics emerged in Japan two weeks ago with a posting on X by its consul general in Osaka, but later deleted.
“The dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off,” the diplomat said after Takaichi’s comments. Beijing called the post a personal one.
Online discussion has linked the comment to “The Sword March”, a Chinese war song from the 1930s that aroused morale against the Japanese invasion of the country in that period.
Its lyrics began with the words, “swords raised over the devils’ heads to hack them off”.
HIGHLIGHTING HISTORY
After the diplomat’s post, peers in countries formerly occupied by Japan during the war chimed in. Some targeted Takaichi directly, framing her as a figure whose leadership style sparks concern, and urged caution.
“Japan’s rising calls for military expansion are worthy of vigilance from all countries that suffered the ravages of war — and recent remarks from its new leader only add to the concern,” China’s embassy in Manila posted on X.
Four accompanying caricatures showed ghosts in a representation of Japanese militarism looming over Takaichi, and one featured her as a witch.
“Today’s China is no longer the China of the past,” the embassy said. “If Japan dares to follow through on military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, it will constitute an act of aggression — and China will certainly strike back resolutely!”
Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. Taiwan’s government rejects the claims.
China could be pushing its narratives in countries that Beijing sees as most aligned with the U.S. or where it thinks it could sway opinion, said Meia Nouwens from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“The Philippines will be particularly important in a Taiwan scenario so impacting public opinion there is likely of interest to Beijing,” the China defence policy senior fellow said.
MEMORIES OF WARTIME AGGRESSION
Wang Lutong, China’s ambassador to Indonesia posted on X a clip of Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s comments to the press in March, along with a quote, “The truth is, to provoke trouble in the name of Taiwan is to invite trouble for Japan.”
Diplomats also accused Takaichi of reviving wartime aggression.
People in Taiwan “suffered enormously” from Japan’s “crimes and atrocities” after it “forcibly occupied … and exerted colonial rule” on the island, Mao, the foreign ministry spokesperson said in a post on X on Friday.
These included killings, denial of political rights and plunder of mineral resources, she added.
In response, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the island’s sovereignty belonged to all its people.
“In recent years, China has frequently dispatched military aircraft and vessels to conduct large-scale military activities in the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea,” it said.
It added that such activities seriously undermined regional peace and stability, for a continuing rise in tension.
TARGETING THE WEST
China’s diplomatic messaging aimed at the West sought to discredit Takaichi in the global arena.
Its permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, called Takaichi’s behaviour “egregious” and questioned her credibility to uphold peace and security.
“How can the international community trust Japan’s professed commitment to peaceful development?” Fu asked in a post this week on X that also queried its trustworthiness in areas such as fairness and justice and international peace and security.
In Canberra, the Chinese embassy posted clips of a Japanese scholar calling out Takaichi’s remarks as “extremely problematic and foolish”, and cited an anti-militarisation panel as calling her “unfit to serve”.
In the United States, the Washington embassy has regularly reposted the Chinese foreign ministry’s messaging.
Japan, which has attempted to narrow the rift, said it is aware of the numerous posts.
It has not responded to the Chinese criticism, except for repeated complaints about the remarks of the Osaka diplomat, as it looks to tamp down tensions.
“The government is taking appropriate measures,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters at a regular briefing on Friday, but said he would refrain from comment on individual remarks.
(Reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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