Japanese media report that Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is actively engaging in diplomatic activities, and has shown a tough stance toward China during his visits to various countries. This indicates that the tense situation in China-Japan relations may not be alleviated in the short term.
Kyodo News reported on Saturday (July 11) that despite the Diet currently being in a critical stage of political confrontations between Japan’s ruling and opposition parties, Koizumi continues to make diplomatic trips at an unusually high frequency.
During his intensive visits to multiple countries in Asia and Europe, Koizumi has repeatedly demonstrated a tough stance toward China. On July 8, in Ankara, Turkey's capital, he strongly condemned the Chinese military's missile tests, bluntly stating, “China's military moves are a matter of grave concern for the international community.”
Subsequently, while attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, Koizumi held meetings with defense ministers from over 20 countries, repeatedly emphasizing that the international community must unite and that “changing the status quo unilaterally by force must never be allowed.”
Since April this year, Koizumi has maintained a high frequency of about two overseas visits per month. He has visited Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea in succession. At the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore, in response to Chinese accusations that Japan’s Kishida administration is moving toward “a new kind of militarism,” Koizumi strongly refuted these claims, denouncing them as “untrue.”
In meetings with various countries, Koizumi brought up defense equipment cooperation almost every time. During his visit to Turkey, he also confirmed with the defense ministers of Denmark and Sweden the advancement of bilateral cooperation. An accompanying official revealed that with Japan relaxing its weapons export regulations in April this year, Japan can now discuss specific cooperation matters with more countries, further expanding the scope of its diplomatic outreach.
Relevant sources disclosed that Koizumi is currently coordinating a visit to the UK, Germany, and Finland in the second half of July. Within the Japanese Ministry of Defense, Koizumi’s ability to quickly build rapport with leaders from various countries has been highly rated.
However, some senior experts in defense within the Liberal Democratic Party have issued warnings about Koizumi’s stance toward China: “Fanning the flames will only intensify friction; sometimes silence is wiser.”