Chapter Sixteen: Vertical and Horizontal, Open and Close

  The huge press center was packed with hundreds of Chinese and foreign journalists, who had arrived as early as before dawn to secure the best positions for their cameras. When Huang Hua, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, emerged from behind the curtain, the reporters' eyes, already wide with anticipation, grew even wider as they waited for an "expected" announcement.

  The clash in the East China Sea yesterday is no longer news.

  The first report was made by a reporter stationed on the USS Washington, followed by Asahi Shimbun's morning edition with a prominent headline. Two of the three countries involved later "made statements". Any experienced journalist would know that the Republic would definitely make a statement this morning and would do so in the form of a press conference, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic making the statement.

  As a result, hundreds of reporters from Beijing-based newspapers and television stations rushed over before dawn.

  It just didn't occur to any of the journalists that the person hosting the press conference wasn't a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, but the foreign minister himself.

  Quick-witted reporters immediately took out their mobile phones, and the reserved golden time slot for news content or the headline of the evening paper. They all knew that the Foreign Minister of the Republic came forward to release relevant information, which not only showed that the situation was extremely serious but also indicated that the attitude of the Republic was very tough.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, please observe the rules of the meeting. This is a press conference and the Foreign Minister will not be taking any questions."

  "After the host's opening remarks, Huang Guowei walked onto the stage with his manuscript. 'Hello everyone, I am Huang Guowei, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.'"

  A brief self-introduction brought kindly laughter from the journalists.

  Huang Guowei is considered one of the most famous people in the Republic and a well-known figure in diplomatic circles. Apart from handling international events that maliciously provoke the Republic's sovereignty and dignity, Huang Guowei has left foreigners with a good impression of being humorous, easy-going and elegant.

  "Today, I am making a strong condemnation statement on behalf of the State Council of the Republic. Huang Guowei got straight to the point without any prelude. "Yesterday at 11:30 Beijing time, July 27th, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force combat vessels and Air Self-Defense Force combat aircraft, disregarding our serious warnings, recklessly intercepted our ships on international routes and attempted to board them; they repeatedly clashed with our dispatched warships and fighter jets, almost causing irreparable severe consequences. In this regard, I hereby represent the State Council of the Republic to express the strongest protest to the Japanese authorities and solemnly declare that all consequences arising from this incident will be borne by Japan alone. To demonstrate our firm defense of the free navigation rights of the Republic's ships in international waters and the Republic's free trade rights worldwide, I hereby announce on behalf of the State Council of the Republic that, effective immediately, strategic economic talks with Japan are postponed indefinitely!"

  The words had barely fallen when the reporters were stunned.

  Before the reporters could react, Huang Guowei had already left the podium and retreated behind the scenes.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, today's press conference is now over."

  Just a few seconds of silence later, the press center erupted. Almost all the reporters pulled out their mobile phones and dialed the headquarters' number to report this major event that had just occurred.

  This is definitely a very serious incident.

  A month ago, a high-level delegation from the Republic held its first round of strategic economic dialogue with the Japanese government in Tokyo and launched negotiations on strategic economic cooperation. At that time, the event was widely publicized. Messages revealed through various channels proved that within three years, the Republic would purchase goods worth tens of billions of dollars from Japan, providing employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Japanese people, and allowing tens of thousands of Japanese companies to obtain "winter" grain. At that time, almost everyone believed that the helping hand extended by the Republic brought a warm feeling to Japan, which was in an economic cold winter. Furthermore, some economic experts believed that through strategic economic cooperation with the Republic, Japan's 20-year economic downturn would come to an end and it would once again embark on the path of economic revival.

  A single maritime clash, a sentence from Huang Guowei, completely dashed Japan's hopes of economic recovery.

  Half an hour later, Huang Guowei hastily walked into the study of the head of state in Xiyuan Garden.

  "Guo Wei, how did you end up sweating so much? Did those reporters give you a hard time again?"

  "No, no. I left before the reporter even asked a question." Huang Guowei picked up the teacup on the tea table and took several big gulps. "Premier, haven't we gone too far?"

  "What's going on?" Ji Youguo walked over and asked Huang Guowei to sit down.

  "This 'bomb' is too powerful and may backfire."

  "Are you saying that Japan will overreact?" Ji Yu Guo smiled faintly and refilled the teacup that Huang Guowei had drunk from.

  "Yes, I think it's a bit overdone." Huang Guowei sighed, "You also know that Japan is very concerned about this strategic economic dialogue, and even Prime Minister Aso has pinned his hopes for re-election on the dialogue. We've slammed shut the door to negotiations, which will definitely have a huge impact on Japan's politics and economy. Maybe, the LDP, which has been in power for over 50 years, will even lose the election because of this."

  "Is that so?" Ji Youguo smiled and shook his head, "Then tell me, if the Liberal Democratic Party loses the election, what impact will it have on us?"

  "This..." Huang Guowei hesitated for a moment, he thought the leader couldn't possibly not know the answer to this question.

  Ji Youguo didn't rush to speak and instead assumed a listening posture.

  "This economic crisis has had a severe impact on Japan, making it one of the worst-hit countries globally. Prime Minister Aso took office after the crisis broke out but failed to turn things around, and his economic rescue measures have not been effective in practice, causing Japan to sink deeper into the crisis. As a result, economic issues have become a fatal flaw for Prime Minister Aso and the Liberal Democratic Party in the upcoming House of Representatives election.

  Before becoming Foreign Minister, Katsuya Okada served as the head of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, and is well-versed in the situation of each country in East Asia.

  Currently, the only party that can challenge the LDP is the Democratic Party led by Ozawa. The DP's biggest weakness is its lack of experience in governance, and its promises to voters are too vague, without any concrete administrative policies to achieve its goals. Furthermore, the DP does not have many solutions for improving Japan's economy either. If we hadn't dropped this 'bombshell', the DP's chances of winning wouldn't be high."

  "Democratic Party?" Ji Youguo nodded thoughtfully, "You mean, now the Democratic Party has a greater chance of winning?"

  "That's right."

  "So what impact does it have on us?" Ji Youguo brought the topic back again.

  “Head of State…” Huang Guowei suddenly became agitated, then regained control of his emotions. “The Democratic Party has always advocated for the abolition of the Peace Constitution and the establishment of a regular army, strengthening Japan's national identity, and gaining the status of an independent major power. Moreover, the Democratic Party is also extremely radical in its regional policies, with many people insisting that Japan should develop nuclear military capabilities, making Japan a recognized world power. If the Democratic Party comes to power, I'm afraid the East Asian situation will undergo drastic turmoil.”

  "Is that so?" Ji Youguo stroked his chin and said, "Your analysis makes some sense, I won't deny it. The Democratic Party is indeed more radical than the Liberal Democratic Party, but I don't entirely agree with your views. Firstly, after the Democratic Party takes power, it's impossible for Japan to shake off American control overnight. They will inevitably continue to adopt a policy of dependence on America while strengthening military investment and pursuing multilateral diplomacy to gain major power status. Secondly, the Democratic Party can't change the traditions of over 60 years since the war in one night, making all Japanese people accept radical policies. To consolidate their regime and expand their political influence, the Democratic Party will still have to focus on improving the domestic economy and increasing national income. Of course, the policies they adopt will definitely be more threatening, such as creating more jobs by increasing military spending. Finally, and most importantly, those who are most worried about Japan's militarization, and who fear it the most, are not us, but America and South Korea. If the Democratic Party takes power and engages in independent politics and balanced diplomacy, I'm afraid we won't need to exert pressure on them. America and South Korea will change their policies towards Japan, influencing the direction of Japanese domestic politics."

  "But this is of no benefit to us either."

  "That's not necessarily true." Ji Youguo chuckled, "If the Democratic Party solidifies its position as the ruling party, for example by improving the domestic economy and increasing voters' income, and gaining the support of most voters, it will definitely continue to push forward its radical policies. At this point, the contradictions between Japan and South Korea will become even more acute, and the US will also be on guard against Japan. By then, the Northeast Asian military alliance carefully constructed by the US will inevitably collapse. You tell me, is this beneficial or not for us?"

  Huang Guowei was shocked and said: "The problem is that the Democratic Party may not be as good as the Liberal Democratic Party in terms of economy."

  "Yes, that's a problem, a very serious one." Ji Yuguo stroked his chin, "However, it's still too early to discuss these matters now. Let's wait until the Japanese general election is over and then we can explore this issue in more detail."

  Huang Guowei felt at ease after hearing this.

  The head of state sees more clearly and further than anyone else, and has already arranged the next few moves before making this move. As a seasoned diplomat, Huang Guowei knew that the person who should not be offended in this world is the head of state of the Republic.

  After seeing off Huang Guohua, Ji Youguo fell into thought again, then picked up the red phone on his office desk. This was a hotline to the head of state, which could be used to call any country that had established a hotline with the Republic, or its government leader.

  A few crucial pieces have been laid out, and what's left is how to capture the opponent's dragon.