We were made weak by the silly U.S.
2021/4/28
The monthly magazines WiLL and Hanada, now on sale, are filled with genuine articles and editorials. Yet, the price is only 950 yen (including consumption tax).
A friend of mine who is an avid reader is fond of saying that "nothing is as cheap as a book," and both magazines demonstrate this.
Every Japanese citizen should go to the nearest bookstore right now to subscribe.
The genuine editorials and articles in both journals are must-reads for Japanese and people worldwide.
I have made them known to the world's people as much as possible.
Japan is a country where the turntable of civilization is turning and where, along with the United States, it must lead the world for another 170 years.
It is only natural that Japan's world's best papers are published daily and night.
Until July 2010, when this column appeared, it had not disseminated these papers to the world.
It is what has made today's world unstable and extremely dangerous.
I have already mentioned several times the reasons why Samsung has surpassed Japan.
In this chapter, I would like to introduce a chapter on semiconductors from the 178th issue of "Konnyaku Mondou," a dialogue between Gyo Tsutsumi and Hiroyuki Kubo that has been serialized in Hanada.
As mentioned, Gyo Tsutsumi is a senior student at my alma mater.
The U.K. is the axis of our policy toward China.
Kubo
While using human rights as a weapon to create a siege on China, you can see that the pro-China John Kerry was sent to China as a special envoy at this time under the guise of discussing environmental issues such as decarbonization.
They try to criticize China and make many secret plans behind the scenes, even if they are not under the table.
It is true not only in the U.S. but also in the E.U.
Since the CIA tapped her, Germany's Merkel has been saying that Washington is no longer a reliable partner and has been leaning more toward China.
At first glance, she criticizes China based on human rights but does not break off relations with China on economic issues.
They will try to jockey for the position.
For example, are they considering doing something about the supply chain problem?
Tsutsumi
From pharmaceuticals to rare piles of earth, we are currently dependent on China.
One of the Japan-U.S. summit themes should discuss building a supply chain that does not rely on China.
Kubo
Decoupling is just a name, but the two countries are much closer than before Corona.
While saying that they will "confront China" on human rights issues, they pour money into China in the supply chain and other economic areas.
While claiming to be putting out fires, they are throwing more and more wood into the fire.
With such an economic structure in place, no matter how much they try to suppress it with human rights issues, China's momentum will not stop.
And even within that economic structure, Japan is still the weakest.
Tsutsumi
We were made weak by the silly U.S.
For example, Japan used to be the leading producer of semiconductors, known as the "rice of industry," because of its superior technology.
However, the US-Japan trade conflict put pressure on Japan from the United States and forced South Korea to give it up a little.
As a result of technology transfer to Samsung and LG, South Korea has overtaken the Japanese semiconductor industry, partly due to low labor costs.
In response, significant electronics manufacturers and the automobile industry pooled their money to create Renesas Electronics.
A fire broke out at a Renesas plant recently, shutting down operations.
When there is a shortage of semiconductors, I immediately thought it was the work of agents of a specific country.
But it will be better now that the company that contributed the money will also contribute to people.
Kubo
From that point of view, the U.K. may become the axis of policy toward China.
No one will slow them down by leaving the E.U., and they have been evident in their criticism of China because of the Hong Kong incident.
Tsutsumi
When Britain returned Hong Kong to China, it made a promise to China to maintain "one country, two systems, and full autonomy" for 50 years.
But China has violated that agreement. Britain has criticized China for violating international law (the contract).
The U.K. has also announced its intention to dispatch the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth to the Indo-Pacific region within this year, saying that militarily, the "free and open Indo-Pacific region" is "becoming the geopolitical center of the world.
If China were to take Taiwan, it would be unable to use the "one road" in the "one belt, one road" plan if it teams up with the United States to blockade the Strait of Malacca.
As for the "One Belt, One Road" project, the E.U.'s criticism of China will prevent it from going as far as Hungary, where Chinese-made vaccines are being used, but beyond that, it will not work.
Boris Johnson is utterly different from his predecessor May.
Leaving the E.U. is a complicated issue, similar to the Gordian knot, but May has been unable to get out of it, saying that she will leave only after setting conditions.
That's because the E.U. doesn't want to give up the U.K., so it raises the terms and conditions.
On the other hand, Johnson made rapid progress by leaving the E.U. and deciding on various conditions later.
The idea was the opposite.
Speaking of the difference between men and women, it would be a bit like Yoshiro Mori (laughs), but Johnson was much more focused on reality.
Politicians deal with reality and get results.
In this respect, I think Johnson is much more reliable than Biden.
This article continues.
