Recently, the spotlight on the international political stage has fallen on Japan. Right-wing politician Saami Takashi was officially elected as the new prime minister, which broke the previous pattern of Japanese politics. According to general diplomatic practice, if a country has a new leader, neighboring countries will usually send congratulatory messages as soon as possible to express their friendly attitude. But this time, China's reaction was significantly different. Not only did they not send out congratulations as usual, but they also handed a meaningful "killing stick" to the new Japanese government through the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

So, what is the profound meaning of this "killing stick"? We can read three key signals from the statement of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first signal is that China shows "no comment on internal affairs", but behind it is a cautious attitude.

At a regular press conference, when asked about his views on the election of Takashi Saami, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China made it clear: "This is Japan's internal affairs and China will not comment." This seemingly plain sentence actually hides considerations. On the one hand, this reflects the principle of "non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries" that China has always adhered to and is in line with the basic norms of international law; on the other hand, behind the four words "no comment" is a cautious attitude towards Gao Shizao's past words and deeds. After all, the new prime minister is not a moderate figure. Her views on historical issues and its stance on China have long aroused China's vigilance.

The second signal is to revisit "commitment" and "history", which is actually clearly drawing a "red line".

More crucial than ¡°not commenting on domestic affairs¡± is the statement of the Foreign Ministry on China-Japan relations.The spokesman stressed: ¡°China hopes that Japan will abide by its commitments between the two countries, especially pointing out that it must respect historical facts and adhere to the one-China principle.¡±¡°Those who understand China-Japan relations know that this is not an ordinary diplomatic statement, but a very direct bottom line warning.¡±

Takaichi sanae's past behavior just stepped on the core concern of China: she visited the Yasukuni Shrine dedicated to Class-A war criminals of World War II many times and denied the history of aggression; On the Taiwan Province issue, although the "Taiwan independence" remarks have not been made public, they have repeatedly interacted with the Taiwan authorities to blur the "one China" principle; In terms of security policy, she pushed for constitutional amendment and military expansion, actively strengthened the Japan-US alliance, and even advocated the deployment of medium-range missiles in Japan.

Each of these actions touches the "sensitive nerve" of Sino-Japanese relations. At this time, China's re-mention of "commitment" and "history" is to clearly tell the Takaichi sanae government that if we want to develop Sino-Japanese relations, we must first keep these "red lines" and don't try to play the sideline on the issue of principle.

The third signal is that China has not directly demonstrated its muscles, but it has conveyed its determination to "be tough to the end."

Some people may ask, why didn't China just make a tougher statement? In fact, the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this time is enough to show its position. The failure to send a congratulatory message is an attitude in itself. Re-emphasizing "respecting history" and "one-China principle" is actually a reminder to the Japanese side: don't underestimate China's determination to safeguard its core interests.

If we look back on Chinese diplomacy in recent years, we can see a clear pattern: whether in trade, technology or Taiwan, in the face of U.S. pressure, China has never retreated. In the South China Sea, in the Chinese-Indian border, in the face of provocation, China has also made a resolute response. Even superpowers such as the United States can not allow China to concession, then with China in the historical issues, comprehensive national strength and not as much as China's Japan, it is much less likely to make a Chinese compromise. If the high market really tries to try the Chinese bottom line, then the end result will only let Japan pay its own price.

Of course, we must say clearly that China has issued such a special ¡°meeting gift¡± and does not want to develop relations with Japan. On the contrary, China and Japan are neighbors with water, and the two countries have a space for cooperation in many areas such as economic trade, environmental protection, public health and so on. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume of China and Japan still exceeds $300 billion, and the cooperation between the two countries in new energy, aging society and other aspects is also directly related to the well-being of the two peoples. China¡¯s attitude is clear: we are willing to cooperate with the new government of Japan, but presupposes that Japan must also work in the same direction, that is, recognize the history of aggression, observe the principle of one China, do not engage in military expansion. This

Now, the Takaichi Sanae government has officially come to power. Next, the choice is in Japan's hands. Do you choose to face up to history, abide by promises and push bilateral relations back on track? Or continue to follow the United States, constantly provoke China's bottom line, and bring Sino-Japanese relations to a deadlock? The answer to this question will be written by the actual actions of the new Japanese government. China, on the other hand, is obviously ready to deal with various possibilities.