Japan’s role in “New Cold War”

The Seven Nations Group ended its recent summit by raising a united front against China, calling on the country over human rights concerns and territorial aggression. It is the latest development in what some call a “new Cold War,” and although Japan is a G7 member, a former senior Japanese diplomat says it is also well positioned to mediate between the two sides.

In a communique issued after the Cornwall Summit, G7 leaders underlined the importance of cross-strait peace and stability and called on Beijing to respect human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

Tanaka Hitoshi, chairman of the Institute for International Strategy and former deputy foreign minister, said the harsh tone of the statement is fingerprinted on Washington hoping to maintain a confrontational approach towards China.

Tanaka says the United States already had a strong alliance with Japan, Korea and Australia that can contain China’s activities in the Indo-Pacific region, and now it appears to be bringing in its European allies. “I think the outcome of the summit is now becoming a kind of strong deterrent to activity in China,” he says.

Beijing quickly hit back at the G7 in a press conference on Tuesday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made a special call to the US, saying the country was “very sick” and the G7 should “take their pulse and write a prescription.”

While some analysts have described the current state of affairs as the beginning of a “new Cold War,” this time around there is one key difference: deep economic integration and interdependence.

“During the Cold War we were able to separate the Eastern Bloc,” says Tanaka. “Economically, there wasn’t much between the US and the Soviet Union. But today we have a lot of trade and investment relationships with China. Not just Japan, but the United States and Europe as a whole. The United States is currently talking about the huge deficit it has with China. “

At the summit, Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide appeared largely in line with hostile attitudes toward China. On the second day of the meeting, he raised concerns about Beijing’s maritime activities and human rights record, saying that they were inconsistent with G7 values.

Even so, Tanaka said, Japan is in a unique position to ensure some degree of stability in China-G7 relations, and possibly even to encourage leadership in Beijing to move.

“Japan knows a lot about China. We fought, but we also have a very long traditional relationship. I think the concept of an Asia-Pacific region that suits China and the United States would be an important tool for Japan to transform China. “