The recent threat by Chinese Consul-General Xue Jian to “cut off that dirty neck without a second of hesitation” is not just an isolated diplomatic incident. It is the latest manifestation of China’s increasingly aggressive "wolf warrior" diplomacy, a pattern of coercive behavior that democratic nations from Ottawa to Canberra have faced with growing frequency.
For Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who triggered this outburst by stating that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, the challenge is how to respond to Beijing’s intimidation tactics without falling into its narrative trap.
As Shingo Yamagami, former Japanese ambassador to Australia, warns, there is an equally dangerous trap that Takaichi must avoid: what he calls “China magic,” the spell that mesmerizes democratic leaders into excessive enthusiasm for good relations with Beijing. Writing for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Yamagami observes that “both Japan and Australia seem to be absorbed by this magical power and obsessed with making efforts not to displease their Chinese counterparts.” This oscillation between wolf warrior threats and charm offensives is not accidental, it’s Beijing's calculated strategy to keep democracies off-balance and divided.
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