Commentary: China-Japan spat – both Washington and Beijing’s reactions are unsettling for the rest of Asia

The result is a global arena defined less by shared rules and norms than by unabashed power politics – and the uncomfortable reality that Japan has ever less room to manoeuvre as Beijing presses its demands and Washington prioritises its own objectives.

CONFRONTATION, NOT CHARM

China’s retaliation against Japan since the dispute erupted has been swift and multifaceted, making clear that Tokyo had crossed one of its most sensitive red lines.

The government has halted group tourism to Japan, reimposed bans on Japanese seafood imports and sent letters of complaint to the United Nations. 

Chinese media has amplified pressure with sharply-worded denunciations, accusing Ms Takaichi of pushing Japan down a “perilous path of militarism and war” and urging her to “repent and change course”. One Chinese diplomat went so far as to call for “cutting off” the “filthy neck” of the Japanese leader on X. 

Japan recently issued a safety advisory for its citizens in China, citing “anti-Japanese sentiment” ahead of the anniversary of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.

China’s response reflects a broader shift in Beijing’s diplomacy in recent years. Facing Western export controls, rising scrutiny of its global economic practices and criticism over its deepening ties with Russia, China has embraced a posture that rejects external pressure outright.

Charm is out; confrontation is in.