Somehow, I don’t believe this one, they say one thing and mean the other so much that quite frankly unless that Japanese PM really goes back on her word, I still will consider this to be something the USA pushed Japan to say and is trying the old good cop routine to make them selves look good. They have done this routine so many times that I do believe the idea that theUSA pushed them up to this although they might try to backtrack because they suddenly remember that actions has consequences and that China isn’t biting
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- Thread starter bd popeye
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Nah this exact thing has happened before. Recall Lee Teng-hui with his two China thing. Once 9/11 happened Bush's attention was in the middle east and he had no desire to stir up trouble so he laboured Lee as "troublemaker" and after Lee's term was over he got in legal trouble with evidence of corruption that suddenly surfaced.
Sometimes tail wagging the dog does happen and US has to rein them in.
Takaichi has made a career of saying similar inflamatory remarks. It's nothing new for her, and the only real difference is that she's prime minister now. If the US had really pushed Japan into provoking China, then they most certainly wouldn't have pushed her into provoking South Korea at the very same time. The thing is that Takaichi can't help herself because this is who she is now, and Japanese nativism is her tool to make up for not having a real power base. And it's working out for her personally as her popularity is sky high now.
Honestly, it's a complete disaster for Japan and it's a mini-disaster for the US. It works out pretty well for China though because they could really use somebody to bully right now, and Japan has alienated in the region so nobody wants to speak out for them. The group that really hates life right now is the JASDF. The F-15J is their primary fighter for combat patrols and intercepts, and it's quite clear now that it's just not adequate for facing off against Chinese fighters, and everybody knows it now. Neither the F-2 nor the F-35 are well-suited for long range maritime patrol so there's no good alternatives out there.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
Makes a lot of sense to picture modern America as an arse-backwards fucked up mutant failed hydra.
Only instead of being a snake with a multitude of heads that keep regrowing and multiplying when cut off; it’s a dog with a multitude of tails all trying to wage it in different directions, and as soon as the dog manages to grab and rip off one disobeying tail, two new ones grow in its place.
Colby Elbridge is famous for pressuring Japan and Australia to clarify it's role in Taiwan contingency are recently as July 2025.
This is typical good cop-bad cop from Japan and US. Japan would never volunteer to endure economic sanction without the explicit approval backing and pressure by US at the highest levels, most likely to test redlines of China.
Fortunately, there are reports recently that Elbridge Colby got told to STFU for pissing off everyone else in Pentagon and even US allies for rogue decision making (). I wouldn't be surprised if this lackluster support by Trump is because China's strong reaction and risk to the trade truce, and Elbridge's department is being supervised by Stephen Miller to keep the trade truce peace. That's why Elbridge is quiet.