Politics
Ex-Foreign Minister Iwaya Calls Japan a 'Middle Power,' Blames Tokyo for the China Rift
Former Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya reportedly told a press conference that Japan caused the deterioration in relations with China and that Japan is only a 'middle power' that need not act like a great power. The framing drew an overwhelmingly hostile response online, with commenters casting him as a mouthpiece for Beijing and demanding an anti-espionage law. A smaller group used the remarks to mock nationalists. The precise wording stays unconfirmed.