【Text/Observer Network Wang Shichun】Election defeat, repeated epidemics... While a bunch of problems in Japan have not been solved, Japanese leader Yoshihide Suga is still hyping up anti-China issues in a vain attempt to divert domestic attention with diplomatic work.
After running to the United States to join forces with Biden last week to issue a joint statement on Taiwan, this week he found the Indian "patient". In a telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 26, Suga said he was "gravely concerned about China's growing toughness in the surrounding waters." The two sides also reached consensus on cooperation in anti-epidemic, high-speed rail and 5G.
However, just one day before Suga found India, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party lost all three by-elections and re-elections for parliamentarians on the 25th. Japanese media said that popular opposition to "golden power politics" and dissatisfaction with the Suga government's anti-epidemic performance contributed to the LDP's defeat, and the election results were "immeasurable" to the Suga regime.
Screenshot of kyodo news agency report
At 3 p.m. on April 26, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held a 25-minute telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which he told Modi that he was "gravely concerned" about China's "provocative behavior" in the surrounding waters, according to Japan's Kyodo News Agency.
During the conversation, Suga repeated the old tune, saying that Japan was concerned about China's "intensified attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China Seas." Suga also said in the conversation that Japan and India continue to cooperate with other countries, including the United States and Australia, to realize the importance of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" region.
In addition to China-related issues, Suga reached a consensus on close cooperation between the two sides to reduce the COVID-19 epidemic through the "Quadripartite Cooperation Talks". The two sides also discussed projects such as India's high-speed rail and 5G, and confirmed that they will continue to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields.
As the COVID-19 pandemic expanded, Suga canceled visits to India and the Philippines from the end of this month. During the conversation, the two heads of state also agreed to re-coordinate to achieve face-to-face talks.
Over the past few days, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has continued to hype up China-related issues, and the Japanese media have even once spread rumors that "Japan may intervene in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait by force," forcing Suga to "urgently refute rumors" when reporting on his visit to the United States in the Diet, saying that the US-Japan joint statement "does not presuppose military intervention and other contents at all."
Domestic fire burns eyebrows
But at the same time, Japan's domestic political crisis and anti-epidemic situation are already "burning eyebrows".
Recently, Japan's ruling party has continuously exposed political scandals such as "golden power politics" and "violation of the election law", coupled with the epidemic in Japan, the Japanese people are extremely dissatisfied with the ruling authorities. Under the surging public opinion, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party lost all three by-elections and re-elections for members of the Diet on the 25th.
Earlier, in the House of Representatives Hokkaido District 2, former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Liberal Democratic Party member Yoshikawa Takamori resigned due to a bribery scandal. In the Hiroshima constituency of the Senate, former Liberal Democratic Party Senator Kawai was declared invalid in violation of the Public Office Election Act for distributing cash to local councilors and others in Hiroshima Prefecture for the purpose of canvassing. In this regard, the Japanese people widely criticized this behavior as "golden power politics".
In addition to the political scandal, in the Nagano constituency of the Senate, former Minister of Land, Transport and Tourism and Senator Yuichiro Haneda of the Constitutional Democratic Party died of the new crown virus. After a series of "political earthquakes", Japan's Senate was re-elected and three members were elected by-election.
On April 25, the Hokkaido District 2, the Nagano constituency by-election of the Senate, and the re-election of the Senate in the Hiroshima constituency were voted and voted. The winners of the three constituencies were all candidates nominated by the opposition, and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party clique "lost all three battles", and the three parliamentarian positions were won by the new Cadet Haneda Jiro, the former Cadet senator Kenko Matsugi, and the newly promoted cadet Miyaguchi Osamu.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, in this election, "golden power politics" has become the main point of contention, and the LDP bribery scandal has been further amplified, becoming an important reason for the overall defeat of the ruling party in selecting candidates.
Screenshot of An Inkei News report
Japan's Sankei Shimbun said that this was Suga's first parliamentary election since he came to power, and it was also an "outpost" before the change of The House of Representatives in October this year, and the result of the election was "immeasurable" to the regime, because the LDP's previous goal was to "keep a seat at the worst".
The election shook the ruling authorities of Suga and the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Sankei Shimbun commented that the by-election had heightened the ruling party's sense of crisis and cast a shadow over the operation of Suga's regime.
In this regard, Suga Yoshihide said to the media on the 26th about the politics of jin quan that the outside world is concerned about: "On the basis of modestly accepting the national trial and further analysis, we will earnestly correct the points that should be corrected." In the face of the next House of Representatives election, we will step up the reorganization of the operation of the regime. ”
Although on the evening of the 26th, Suga presided over a high-level meeting of the party, once again confirming the unity of the ruling party. But there are clearly voices within the Liberal Democratic Party that Yoshihide Suga's administration will affect the House election in October.
In addition to the political scandal, Japan's Sankei Shimbun said that another factor that seriously affected the election situation was the public's dissatisfaction with the Suga government's anti-epidemic performance.
According to Xinhua News Agency reported on April 26, at present, the fourth wave of the epidemic in Japan is raging, and Tokyo, Osaka Prefecture and other places have entered the third round of epidemic emergency. According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in Japan has exceeded 10,000 on the 26th, reaching 10,025, of which about 80% died after December last year.
Medical resources across Japan are also running out, with Yomiuri Shimbun reporting that the medical supply system continues to be in a hurry, with the Kansai Circle as the center, and the death toll is increasing. In Kyoto, Osaka and other places, the hospitalization rate of COVID-19 patients is less than 25%. Next, the outbreak will lead to a shortage of beds, and the number of people who cannot be hospitalized or receive the necessary treatment will be further increased.
Japanese Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato confirmed on the 26th that Japan found 21 cases of infection with the mutated new coronavirus reported by India, of which 20 cases were found in airport entry quarantine and 1 case was found in China. This mutated virus may lead to immune evasion and increased infectivity.
On April 23, the Japanese government announced that Tokyo and three other prefectures and prefectures had entered a covid-19 emergency for the third time.
Asakusa Temple Commercial Street is cold and clear Source: Xinhua News Agency
In response to a series of moves by Suga to hype up China-related issues, the Spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry pointed out on April 17 in response to a reporter's question on the US-Japan leaders' joint statement that the above-mentioned remarks by the United States and Japan have completely exceeded the scope of normal development of bilateral relations, harmed the interests of third parties, undermined mutual understanding and trust among regional countries, and undermined Peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. It is obvious that they are trying to split the Asia-Pacific region and engage in "small circles" against other countries, but they are called "free and open," which is really a great irony. This attempt by the United States and Japan to move against the tide of the times and to blow the hearts and minds of the people of the countries in the region is bound to proceed with the purpose of harming others and end with the result of harming themselves.
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