Since the new Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested that her country could intervene militarily if China moved to seize Taiwan, Beijing has warned Chinese tourists to stay away from Japan. It has also sent military ships to patrol disputed waters and has threatened to suspend economic or diplomatic exchanges with Tokyo. The goal, in such a full-throated response, seems to be to cow Japan into submission and to show off China’s confidence in its superpower status. A post by a blog affiliated with China’s state broadcaster declared that China had defeated Japan in World War II when it was much poorer than today. “Now, we not only have an iron will, but also an iron torrent,” the account said, referring to China’s military buildup.

Full report : Beijing is flexing its might to show its displeasure with the Japanese leader’s comments about defending Taiwan, but its aggressive approach risks backfiring.