"Does Tokyo See Beijing as a Partner or a Threat?"
Ambassador Wu Jianghao Warns Japan Against Using China in US-Japan Relations
Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao is attending the closing ceremony of the Chinese film festival held in Tokyo, Japan, on October 29 last year (local time). / Photo by UPI and Yonhap News
"Does Tokyo (Japan) see Beijing (China) as a partner and friend, or as a competitor or threat?"
Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 13th (local time) that Wu Jianghao, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, revealed this during the recently concluded largest Chinese political event, the Two Sessions (Lianghui), and warned Japan not to "use China for US-Japan relations."
Ambassador Wu stated that this is an "act that undermines the foundation of China-Japan relations," adding, "China-Japan relations and US-Japan relations should not be regarded as opposing or conflicting."
China is voluntarily pursuing a friendly policy to incorporate neighboring countries such as Japan and South Korea as allies to counterbalance the United States. This is because the second Trump administration has been urging trading partners to join in pressuring China under the pretext of tariffs.
Recently, director Bong Joon-ho's film "Mickey 17" was released in China, signaling the lifting of the Hallyu ban (Hanhanryeong) in a similar context. On the 22nd, the South Korea-China-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting is also scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan. There is also cautious speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit South Korea in November this year to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Gyeongju.
Amid this, it is observed that the Chinese government proactively issued a pointed warning to Japan to "take the center of diplomacy." Japan's intentions are expected to become more complicated.
Ambassador Wu also agreed that there has been progress in bilateral relations but pointed out that "complex factors still remain." He added, "If Japan maintains a negative attitude toward China, relations could become tense."
Known as a 'pro-Japan faction,' Ambassador Wu previously served as Deputy Director-General (equivalent to Vice Minister) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was appointed as ambassador to Japan in 2023. Ambassador Wu worked at the Chinese Embassy in Japan for over 10 years in two periods, from 1993 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2008, and is known to be classified in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Japan expert group called the 'Japan School.'
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