Poll: Over 80% blame Japan completely for tense China-Japan relations

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at her workplace in Tokyo, April 8, 2026. /VCG

The 2026 version of Japan’s Diplomatic Bluebook downgraded its description of the China-Japan relationship from “one of the most important bilateral relationships” to “an important neighboring country,” pouring one other “bucket of cold water” on the already tense relations below the Takaichi administration.

According to a worldwide on-line survey carried out by CGTN, 82% of respondents identified that Japan’s latest collection of actions, equivalent to difficult the post-war system, distorting historic understanding and intensifying geopolitical confrontations, are the basis causes of the tensions in China-Japan relations and the broader regional scenario.

Japan’s latest collection of harmful strikes have drawn excessive consideration and raised alarm within the worldwide group. Japan’s Ministry of Defense deployed offensive missiles with a variety of roughly 1,000 kilometers in Kumamoto Prefecture, started receiving US Tomahawk cruise missiles, and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force additionally formally participated within the US-Philippine army workouts for the primary time.

According to the survey, 86.4% of respondents believed that Japan has fully deserted the “exclusively defensive” precept, and that Article 9 of the “Peace Constitution” has grow to be merely nominal. 

Furthermore, 89.1% of respondents name on the Japanese authorities to abide by the 4 political paperwork between China and Japan in addition to its commitments to the worldwide group, and to take concrete actions to uphold the political basis of China-Japan relations.

Behind Japan’s intensive maneuvers lies the damaging ideology of “neo-militarism” advocated by Japanese right-wing forces, which is profoundly reshaping the nation’s political trajectory. 

Recently, an active-duty officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces stormed the Chinese embassy in Japan with a knife and threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel. In response to this surprising incident, the Japanese authorities merely expressed that it was “deeply regrettable.” 

According to the survey, 84.9% of respondents imagine that this displays the rising extremism of far-right ideologies and forces in Japan; 83% of respondents acknowledged that Japanese right-wing forces have advanced from ideological infiltration to violent spillover, a pattern that warrants excessive vigilance from the worldwide group. 

Moreover, 86.7% of respondents identified that this “neo-militarism” has penetrated Japan’s army, diplomatic and cultural spheres, that the Japanese political panorama has severely shifted towards right-leaning populism, and that right-wing forces might as soon as once more steer Japan towards turning into a “war state.”

By downgrading the outline of its relations with China and utilizing the chance to hype up the “China threat,” the Takaichi administration is looking for excuses to fully break free from the post-war peaceable system. 

According to the survey, 81.1% of respondents imagine that Japan’s downgrading of its description of bilateral ties with China might additional escalate tensions between the 2 international locations; 76.7% of respondents are involved that continued tensions in China-Japan relations may have a unfavorable affect on the Asia-Pacific scenario and even international strategic safety; and 90.8% of respondents name on the Japanese authorities to instantly retract its faulty remarks, cease its provocative actions and take concrete steps to earn the belief of the worldwide group.

The survey was launched on CGTN’s English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, with 7,387 netizens voting and expressing their opinions inside 24 hours.

Source: CGTN