This essay argues that virtually no countries other than South Korea and China would be troubled by Japan being strong,and exposes how the Asahi Shimbun has consistently worked to prevent Japan from becoming stronger,particularly in space development,while flattering China’s massive,PLA-led space expansion,thereby revealing the abnormal nature of its relationship with China.

There are hardly any countries in the world other than South Korea and China that would be troubled by Japan being a strong nation.A country whose lifeline is automobile exports,Germany,also appears to be one that would like to keep Japan diminished.(The foundation of the anti-Japanese reporting that the Süddeutsche Zeitung has continued,which according to opinion polls has instilled anti-Japanese sentiment in roughly half the population,is likely rooted in such motives.)
2016-10-20
The Asahi Shimbun has consistently continued reporting in a direction that prevents Japan from becoming bigger or stronger.This is also true with regard to space development.Anyone who has subscribed to and carefully read the Asahi Shimbun should remember this well.What the Asahi has written about space development has always been that the budget is excessive,or that it should be reduced or restrained,and readers will have never once encountered an editorial arguing that Japan should greatly increase budgets for space development—or rocket development—and aim to become a space power.
On the contrary,joining hands with the Democratic Party,it has continued to write editorials no less foolish than the remark,“Does it have to be number one in the world?”
Yet when it comes to China pouring enormous budgets into space development,it not only offers no criticism at all,but instead writes fawning articles praising China as a space power.
As for the relationship between the Asahi and China,the Asahi Shimbun’s own article of 10/18 provided proof.
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The center,which is a military facility,has until now restricted coverage by foreign media.
However,this time it accepted coverage not only by the Asahi Shimbun but also by the BBC of the U.K.,KBS of South Korea,and Russia’s TASS news agency.
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There is no need to elaborate on the current relationship between the U.K.and China.South Korea is a country that has cozied up to China to an astonishing degree.As for Russia,it is now in what could be described as a pariah alliance,or perhaps an alliance to avoid isolation.
The presence of the Asahi Shimbun among them speaks volumes about the relationship between the Asahi and China,and about what kind of company the Asahi Shimbun is.
I am also the first person in the world to point this out.