Somehow, I don’t believe this one, they say one thing and mean the other so much that quite frankly unless that Japanese PM really goes back on her word, I still will consider this to be something the USA pushed Japan to say and is trying the old good cop routine to make them selves look good. They have done this routine so many times that I do believe the idea that theUSA pushed them up to this although they might try to backtrack because they suddenly remember that actions has consequences and that China isn’t biting
Miscellaneous News
- Thread starter bd popeye
- Start date
Nah this exact thing has happened before. Recall Lee Teng-hui with his two China thing. Once 9/11 happened Bush's attention was in the middle east and he had no desire to stir up trouble so he laboured Lee as "troublemaker" and after Lee's term was over he got in legal trouble with evidence of corruption that suddenly surfaced.
Sometimes tail wagging the dog does happen and US has to rein them in.
Takaichi has made a career of saying similar inflamatory remarks. It's nothing new for her, and the only real difference is that she's prime minister now. If the US had really pushed Japan into provoking China, then they most certainly wouldn't have pushed her into provoking South Korea at the very same time. The thing is that Takaichi can't help herself because this is who she is now, and Japanese nativism is her tool to make up for not having a real power base. And it's working out for her personally as her popularity is sky high now.
Honestly, it's a complete disaster for Japan and it's a mini-disaster for the US. It works out pretty well for China though because they could really use somebody to bully right now, and Japan has alienated in the region so nobody wants to speak out for them. The group that really hates life right now is the JASDF. The F-15J is their primary fighter for combat patrols and intercepts, and it's quite clear now that it's just not adequate for facing off against Chinese fighters, and everybody knows it now. Neither the F-2 nor the F-35 are well-suited for long range maritime patrol so there's no good alternatives out there.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
Makes a lot of sense to picture modern America as an arse-backwards fucked up mutant failed hydra.
Only instead of being a snake with a multitude of heads that keep regrowing and multiplying when cut off; it’s a dog with a multitude of tails all trying to wage it in different directions, and as soon as the dog manages to grab and rip off one disobeying tail, two new ones grow in its place.
Elbridge Colby is famous for pressuring Japan and Australia to clarify it's role in Taiwan contingency are recently as July 2025.
What changed is the US-China trade truce... Japan itself would never volunteer to endure economic sanction without the explicit approval backing and pressure by US at the highest levels, most likely to test redlines of China.
Fortunately, there are reports recently that Elbridge Colby got told to STFU for pissing off everyone else in Pentagon and even US allies for rogue decision making (). I wouldn't be surprised if this lackluster support by Trump is because China's strong reaction and risk to the trade truce, and Elbridge's department is being supervised by Stephen Miller to keep the trade truce peace. That's why Elbridge is quiet on Twitter.
Just like Dutch got thrown under the bus after US pressure led them to seize Nexperia, I am smelling a similar scenario where Japan gets thrown under the bus after US pressure to have them clarify role in Taiwan contingency. Trump basically upended the national security hawks on China, selling Nvidia chips, reversing export controls, reversing Nexperia seizure, all in the name of keeping the trade truce. This is the power of the rare earth nuclear option!
Sanae seeking a meeting with Trump is more about how much Japan can step down and getting permission to do so. Here are China's clear demands for Japan, but Sanae needs permission from the suzerain.
I believe the USA always had the intention of using this fool to annoy China to test the waters without any real considerations involved but in the end, she went well beyond her role and simply went over her limit and caused another mess similar to the whole Nexperia debacle which ultimately amounts to yet another self own. The USA is desperate for some kind of win since the whole power of moves in regards to rare earths limitations which really screwed them up quite bad but always resorts to throw there pawns under the bus when they ultimately fail. I do wholeheartedly agree that this ultimately benefits China in the end since Japan played its cards very poorly and ended losing in more ways the one. It’s does take a special kind of stupid to isolate most of Asia with here idiotic lack of brains and lack of empathy but since they never truly suffered for what they did in WW2, maybe the Mandate of Heaven has chosen its time for Japan to pay for their bastard behaviour which many in Asia (western care bearers do not count) agree is long over due
