Published on August 9, 2019. This article continues a dialogue from the monthly magazine Hanada between former NHK Chairman Momii Katsuto and China expert Endo Homare. It discusses Xi Jinping’s slogan “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” China’s one-party rule, threats to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the First Island Chain, Japan’s stance toward China, and the lack of a sense of crisis in the Japanese media.

2019-08-09
The fact that this phrase was used as a slogan means that China has reached the point where, unless it stimulates the heart of the Chinese nation, it cannot unite the people in order to maintain the one-party rule system.
The following is a continuation of the previous chapter.
The fearsome nature of the Chinese nation
Momii
I get the impression that Mr. Xi Jinping is pushing ahead under the slogan “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
Endo
That slogan was created by Wang Huning, who is called China’s greatest brain and served three generations—Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping—and who is now a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and ranked fifth in the party hierarchy.
When I learned that, I thought, “So it has finally come this far.”
What I mean is that this is also the frightening part of the Chinese nation: when their “pride as the Chinese nation” is stimulated, even Chinese people who dislike the Communist Party feel their blood stir.
It would be more accurate to say that they cannot help but feel their blood stir.
They cannot suppress it.
And the fact that this phrase was used as a slogan means that China has reached the point where, unless it stimulates the heart of the Chinese nation, it cannot unite the people in order to maintain the one-party rule system.
Momii
In a sense, it means they have played their final card.
Endo
Yes.
There is no turning back now.
They have no choice but to push ahead.
And what would happen if China’s ambition to “surpass America in 2049” were achieved?
Even some of the people who are now critical of the Communist Party would appreciate that achievement and turn to support the Communist Party.
Mr. Xi Jinping’s greatest enemy is the voice of the people.
That is why he monitors them thoroughly with AI and surveillance cameras.
Everything is for the purpose of maintaining the Communist Party’s one-party rule system, and if China surpasses America and there are no longer any citizens criticizing the Communist Party, then there will be nothing to fear.
Once that time comes, it will be too late.
A country that monitors each citizen with surveillance cameras and suppresses speech in order to maintain a one-party rule system would dominate the world.
It is a nightmare.
How are we to take responsibility to our children and grandchildren?
We must absolutely prevent it.
That is precisely why, if Prime Minister Abe says he is “100% with Donald,” he must show a more resolute stance toward China.
As I said earlier, China is now smiling at Japan precisely because it is troubled by the trade war that Mr. Trump launched, and this is one of the few chances for Japan to reject China.
Prime Minister Abe is not making use of this at all and is being completely taken in by Mr. Xi Jinping, who is casting amorous glances at Japan.
The same is true of participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.
As for the demonstrations in Hong Kong, they are by no means someone else’s problem for Japan.
The young people of Hong Kong who are participating in the demonstrations are the last bastion of democracy.
If Hong Kong collapses, without doubt Taiwan will be next, and if Taiwan collapses, Mr. Xi Jinping is aiming to bring the First Island Chain into his hands.
What does Japan intend to do at that time?
At that time, it will already be far too late.
The Japanese government should send encouragement to the young people of Hong Kong and issue resolute statements to the Chinese government.
Yet in reality, Japan is helping China, a one-party state that suppresses speech, in its attempt to conquer the world.
Prime Minister Abe says that Japan–China relations have finally returned to a normal track, but such “Japan–China friendship” should never be pursued.
Momii
When I look at China’s current surveillance society, speech control, television masking, and so on, I certainly do not think I would ever want to live there.
In this world that has become so diverse, I think Japan’s position and case are being considered, but how should Japan deal with China, where one-party rule continues?
In every era, we often hear talk of inviting China’s president to Japan as a state guest and wanting him to come to Japan.
It is fine for summit meetings to be held, but we need to recognize what China is thinking and what kind of strategy it is pursuing, as Professor Endo has just described.
That is true not only with China but also with the United States.
Even an ally is, after all, another country.
We need to think strategically about how we should deal with it going forward and what we should do with the Japan–U.S. alliance.
Yet, unbelievably, the media makes a huge fuss merely because Mr. Trump says a little that “the Japan–U.S. Security Treaty is unfair.”
It is pathetic.
Even in the Diet, there is no real discussion at all about what it means to defend the country.
Some say that “because public awareness regarding constitutional revision is not very high, there is no need to discuss it,” but unless we seriously discuss from a more fundamental level what it means to “defend the country,” the debate will forever remain a shallow one of “for” or “against.”
There is no way this can be acceptable.
The media leading Japan into crisis
Endo
I want people to have more of a sense of crisis.
Nevertheless, what about the Japanese media?
Because it pleases readers, the media is overflowing with statements such as “China’s economy will collapse,” “Xi Jinping is consumed with power struggles and will eventually fall from power.
A country that does nothing but fight over power has no future.
It will perish.”
It says only things that sound pleasant to Japanese ears, and as a result it is corrupting the Japanese people.
It is leading Japan into crisis.
Or, when I once appeared on a certain program with a former NHK person, that person repeatedly made statements exactly in line with the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department, exactly according to the scenario that China wanted him to express.
He had been completely taken in by China’s sharp power.
Ordinary viewers cannot understand things to that extent, so through that person’s statements, China’s thinking is implanted in them.
It is extremely dangerous.
Momii
When I was NHK chairman, I tried to maintain the stance of firmly observing NHK’s international broadcasting standards.
There it says, “Accurately convey our country’s important policies, official views on international issues, and trends in public opinion in our country.”
For example, regarding the Senkaku Islands, the government says they are Japan’s inherent territory, and it is necessary to accurately convey such official views.
When I said at my inaugural press conference as NHK chairman that “we cannot say left when the government says right,” I was speaking in the context of international broadcasting, but part of the statement was cut out and took on a life of its own.
Perhaps I should have chosen my words more carefully.
Endo
At the time, you were exposed to severe criticism.
Momii
My honest feeling is that I wanted it to be conveyed a little more accurately.
Also, even on commercial television these days, I often see anchors comment at the end of news reports, “There is concern,” and it feels strange to me.
I get angry at the television and say, “Who is concerned?”
It is a comment that pretends to be objective, but it is really the opinion of the anchor or the director who is saying it.
Viewers are quite influenced by such comments.
Another thing I constantly think is that the media could have a little more diversity of viewpoints.
For example, regarding Mr. Trump, what is reported is uniform across all companies, and it is only opinions and demonstrations inside the United States that criticize the president, isn’t it?
To be honest, I no longer want to hear or see comments by critics who mock him by saying things like “Trump is a real estate man,” as I mentioned at the beginning.
The media, too, must become much more solid.
I truly cannot help worrying about Japan’s future.