Folk artisans play drums as people dance at the Corban Festival. Photo: Fan Lingzhi/GT

A right-wing Japanese politician who wanted to make a stunt by using an event organized by China's Consulate-General in Osaka that called for Japanese to visit China's Xinjiang region, humiliated himself by trying to play tough on China but failing after several rounds of "word battles" with Chinese envoy on Twitter. 

Chinese consulate-general in Osaka published a notice on December 2 inviting Japanese people to visit China's Xinjiang region after the end of the COVID-19. The invitation attracted wide attention in Japanese media and so far, 806 Japanese people have applied for the trip. 

This event poked the soft spot of anti-China forces in Japan as they fear their lies of smearing Xinjiang would be exposed. Therefore they spread misinformation saying the Chinese consulate-general is trying to win Japanese heart with money, it would be a "one-way" trip and people wouldn't be able to return to Japan, and those who go to China would be "monitored," with the purpose of distorting the event and discouraging Japanese from applying for it, according to a working staff from the Chinese consulate-general in Osaka.  

Takashi Nagao, a former member of the Japanese House of Representatives, is one of these politicians smearing the event.

Nagao used to work in the Abe administration and has always advocated Japan's "right of collective self-defense" and Japanese prime ministers' visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, a place where convicted Japanese World War II criminals are enshrined. 

On December 5, Nagao posted on his Twitter account on the event of the Chinese consulate-general, asking "whether I can return to Japan alive after attending the activity?"

China's Consul-General Xue Jian in Osaka responded on Twitter and said that Nagao could apply for the event but instead of worrying about whether he can return to Japan, he should worry about whether he can stand given the shock when seeing all the lies on China's Xinjiang being smashed after visiting Xinjiang. 

Some Japanese netizens criticized Nagao for acting indiscreetly as a former member of the Japanese House of Representatives. But this did not stop the Japanese right-wing politicians from trying again. 

On December 8, Nagao posted another tweet, offering "conditions" for his visit to the Xinjiang region, saying that the tour must be accompanied by a number of guides who are "Uygurs who were put into the concentration camp and escaped." But five minutes later, Nagao posted another tweet, saying his proposal is "a difficult task" and therefore he "would like to refrain from participating in the tour." 

Consul-General Xue commented that Nagao offered conditions and then "refused" the visit, showing that he lacks common sense, courage and sincerity.

After several rounds of word battles, Nagao had been mocked by Japanese netizens for backing out with some netizens "encouraging" Nagao to apply for the visit. Some netizens also posted photos of Nagao visiting China years ago, in which his smiles were so big when meeting with Chinese leaders, and mocked that Nagao flip-flopped so dramatically.

On December 10, Xue took the initiative to ask Nagao on Twitter that whether making Uygurs as guides for the visit would make him come to visit Xinjiang. 

Nagao then gave no clear response and claimed his security could not be ensured. In response, Xu tweeted that Nagao as a politician had no sincerity or courage and there is no point for saying more to such a person. 

Many netizens have criticized the Japanese politician for humiliating himself when trying to play tough on China, and said he should also feel shameful upon returning to the political circle. 

The consulate's notice calling on Japanese to visit Xinjiang highlighted Xinjiang's beautiful scenery, delicious food and beauty.

"Xinjiang is a good place. However, in recent years, slanders and lies about Xinjiang have emerged one after another, causing great misunderstanding and harming the image of Xinjiang and China," said the notice.

Therefore, in order for people to check out the real situation in Xinjiang by themselves, the consulate-general in Osaka is recruiting Japanese tourists to travel to Xinjiang next year, according to the notice.