Japanese media slashes gov't "China threat" tactics as "dangerous gamble"

The Japanese government is in a " dangerous gamble" for seeking the passage of the unpopular security bills by making China an "imaginary enemy," the local Kyodo News reported, urging the government to have a comprehensive perception on Japan-China ties.

The remarks came after the release of several photos showing China's gas and oil exploration in the East China Sea and the issue of Japan's defense white paper hyping so-called "China threat" cliche.

Japan and China are facing a critical moment that whether they could take the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II as an opportunity to mend their ties strained by territorial and historical disputes, Kyodo said in a Chinese-language commentary on Wednesday.

"It is obvious that the government intends to accelerate the passage of the security bills by making China as an 'imaginary enemy' through the issue of the defense white paper and picture of China's oil platforms."

The motivation behind the moves probably was that the government is worried about the tumble support rate after the forced passage of the bills in the parliament's lower house, according to the Kyodo commentary.

It questioned that why the government did not protest against China's exploration when Japan detected the constructions of the platforms since 2013. Noting that all the Chinese exploration sites are not in the disputed area, the article added there are some opinions in Japan admitting the facts.

It said the priority is to completely repair bilateral ties and return to the 2008 consensus between the two countries on the East China Sea issue so as to ease the tension in the region through joint development based on mutual trust. Endi