The following is from a serial column by Yoshiko Sakurai, who brings the weekly Shincho released last Thursday to a successful conclusion.
This article also proves that she is a national treasure, a supreme national treasure defined by Saicho.
One Hundred Years After Its Founding, Know the Weaknesses of the Chinese Communist Party
On July 1, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrated its 100th anniversary.
We need to calmly look at the future of our neighboring country's Communist Party, which continues to pursue coercive policies against neighboring peoples and nations, without falling into certain assumptions.
Despite this, many Japanese media may have read President Xi Jinping's speech on the 100th anniversary based on their preconceived notions.
Most of the media headlined "Taiwan," citing such passages as "We will resolutely crush any attempts at Taiwanese independence" and "We must not underestimate the determination, will, and powerful capability of the Chinese people to fully protect their national sovereignty and territory.
However, in his 65-minute speech, his remarks on Taiwan appeared only at the very end.
It was only a short mention, one paragraph in length.
To make a big headline out of it would be to misunderstand the reality of the Xi administration.
The Chinese Communist Party will indeed continue to seek the annexation of Taiwan.
It will also continue to strengthen its military power.
It will never stop its hard-line policy toward the rest of the world.
However, the Xi administration is surprisingly holding its breath now.
The Chinese Communist Party is under siege as the suppression of the Uyghurs is regarded as genocide.
No sane country recognizes China's actions.
In this situation, China wants to hold the Beijing Olympics to save face.
If that is the only reason China is keeping a low profile, now is the time for Japan to take an aggressive stance on the Senkaku Islands and other matters.
Mr. Xi did not mention the US or Japan in his speech.
Most of his speech was devoted to raising and tightening domestic public opinion.
He reiterated the greatness of the Chinese nation and aroused the people's sentiment of love for the Party.
He praised the Chinese nation in all possible terms: a great country, great dream, great revival, outstanding achievement, great transformation, excellent road, a significant undertaking, and great founding spirit.
Emphasizing that the Chinese nation is the great nation that towers above the rest of the world, Mr. Xi said. "A hundred years ago, the Chinese people presented to the world a kind of fallen figure. Today, the Chinese people present a vibrant image to the world and make unstoppable progress toward a great revival.
Personal Worship of Mao Zedong
Why has the Chinese nation been able to revive itself? Mr. Xi explained.
"Only socialism can save China, and only socialism with Chinese characteristics can develop China.
"Socialism with Chinese characteristics" is Xi's ideology.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics" is Xi's ideology. He boasts that Mao Zedong "made China rise," Deng Xiaoping "made China rich," and he "made China strong.
It is no secret that he has likened himself to Mao Zedong and is trying to stay President for life.
In his 100th anniversary speech, he repeatedly stressed that only socialism with Chinese characteristics, which he advocates, can develop China.
He also said, "The key is the Party.
"Without the CCP, there would be no New China and no great revival of the Chinese nation, and the leadership of the CCP is the essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
In other words, only with one's ideology can China be established and the greatness of the Chinese nation be realized.
Two days before this impassioned speech, Mr. Xi attended the "Order of the Seventy-One" awarding ceremony.
The Order of the Seventy-One is given to ordinary heroes who faithfully and quietly dedicate themselves to their duties in everyday life and is said to be the highest decoration of the Chinese Communist Party.
Among the "people" who received the 71st Order of Merit were the maritime militias that roamed around the Senkakus and other areas.
The seizure of the Senkakus is the obsession of the Chinese Communist Party.
At the ceremony, Mr. Xi admonished the people: "Comrades of the whole Party, you are all Marxists.
"At the ceremony, Xi admonished the people: "Comrades of the whole Party must lifelong pursue their belief in Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
"They must forever believe in the Party, love the Party, work for the Party, work hard in their respective posts, and constantly push forward the practice of struggling for the noble ideals. It calls for absolute trust in the Party, absolute obedience, and ardent love.
He says that it is Mr. Xi's ideology that guides the fundamentals of the Party.
The absolute trust and undying love demanded of the people should be focused entirely on Mr. Xi.
Isn't this the return of the personal worship of Mao Zedong?
From the two speeches on the right, we can read the near-future course of the Xi Jinping administration.
It is fundamentally different from the hope of most people that China will become a more open and peaceful power.
In the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs, a magazine specializing in foreign affairs, a unique feature entitled "Can China Continue to Rise?
There was an interesting article in it.
The article, "Beijing's Slumdog Aristocracy," was written by Yuen Yuen An, an associate professor of political science at the University of Michigan.
Debts of $4 trillion
Mr. An points out that corruption in China evolved during the time of Deng Xiaoping.
Deng took a pragmatic line of generating money to enrich China, but he also tolerated corruption as long as he was loyal to the Party.
As a result, unimaginable corruption was rampant.
One of the examples she cites is the corruption of the Minister of Railways.
One example she cited was the corruption of the Minister of Railways, who received $140 million in bribes along with a sizeable 350-room apartment building.
He also had a harem of 100 mistresses and a high-ranking official hoarding three tons of cash.
As a result of the revelations, the reality of this kind of crazy corruption became known to the Chinese people.
The form of corruption has changed, and land leasing has become the mainstay of bribery.
The state owns all land in China, and no one can buy it.
However, they can lease it.
Therefore, local governments began to lease land, which was initially free, at exorbitant prices.
In the 20 years since 1999, the revenue of local governments has increased 120-fold through land leases.
By leasing land using their connections with the Communist Party and again using their links with the Communist Party to get huge loans from financial institutions, some people could get the money that reached the sky. The economy continued to boom, far removed from the real economy.
As a result, local governments' debt has reached $4 trillion, and they are approaching bankruptcy.
The Chinese government has made efforts to expel such corruption, but the expulsions and reforms are not based on rules but instead are done arbitrarily to protect the connections to Mr. Xi.
They make it difficult for China to rebuild its economy, in Ang's view indeed.
It is an interpretation shared by more than a few experts.
Mao was a good strategist, but in the end, he was drowned in the violence of the Cultural Revolution.
We must look at Xi's vulnerability to learn from Mao and connect it to our national interest.
In addition to taking steps to protect the Senkakus by taking advantage of China's momentary opening, now is the time to run toward strengthening the Self-Defense Forces and revising the Constitution.
