Almost all leaders all over the world are mourning the death of the ex-prime minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe. He was shot dead on the 8th of July 2022 while addressing a speech as a part of campaigning for upcoming elections by an ex-naval officer via a homemade 3D Print Gun. Yes, you heard it right! Japan boasts the world's most robust gun control regulations, making it one of the safest nations in the world. It does not have a gun culture like the USA. It's hard to obtain a gun license, so the attacker had to prepare it himself. His name is Tetsuya, a 41-year-old man from NARA City. He has been arrested, but the reasons for his attack are still not official.
There are many speculations, but one of the major reasons identified for the attack is that the man was unhappy with the policies of Abe regarding amendments to military policies that made Japan self-reliant in defense matters. After the end of World War 2, the Japanese Parliament decided to cut back heavily on military operations and almost outsource security operations to the USA. But amid China’s muscle-flexing over Taiwan and the South China Sea, Abe made sure that Japan needed to reverse its historical decision and start building its military heavily.
While many may be mourning, it is shocking to see the Chinese social media, where many people are celebrating this news, indicating the longstanding enmity between Japan and China. According to the Chinese government think tank Global Times, "Abe's death could stimulate the extreme Japanese right-wing to promote populist, xenophobic, and even extreme political goals." Abe’s soft corner towards Taiwan and India also irks China.
Because of the 100-year-old hostility between China and Japan, it is unrealistic to anticipate that Abe's passing will profoundly sadden Chinese internet users. It's even less likely to ask China to declare a day of national mourning, as India did, or to display the flag at half-staff, as the US did, to show their "sadness." Even if it's merely to put on a "show," China won't do it.
Chinese people's excitement at Abe's passing reveals how they feel about Japan. It is a natural and honest response to the sad and tragic history of Chinese people being killed, mistreated, and suppressed by Japanese aggressors in the first half of the 20th century, as well as to Abe's attitude of supporting the US in containing China and represent the militarism and war crimes committed by Japan during World War II.There is even jubilation in certain Chinese neighborhoods that portray Abe's killer as a hero!
The formation of a QUAD consisting of the USA, Japan, India, and Australia was the brainchild of Abe to counter China’s expansionist strategy. The attack could be a Chinese conspiracy or maybe just an attack with no political motivations but an individual's dissatisfaction. Nonetheless, his death will undoubtedly benefit the Chinese government, as he was a major impediment to their expansion strategy.
Although he is still despised in China, his attempts to institutionalize norms, create certain strategic choices for Japan and other like-minded nations and promote predictable, stable results as well as reasonable living conditions for many people.
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