S8 Ep175: PREVIEW — Charles Burton — The US Silence Regarding China's Threats Against Japan. Burton and John Batchelor discuss the strategic "mystery" of the United States failing to explicitly defend Japan against China's recent escalated threats directed toward J

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John Batchelor

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🗓️ 8 December 2025

⏱️ 3 minutes

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Summary

PREVIEW — Charles Burton — The US Silence Regarding China's Threats Against Japan. Burton and John Batchelor discuss the strategic "mystery" of the United States failing to explicitly defend Japan against China's recent escalated threats directed toward Japan's new Prime Minister. Burton argues that China systematically deploys disinformation campaigns to misrepresent democratic Japan's legitimate defensive modernization as aggressive militarism, thereby expanding Beijing's regional influence through propaganda and narrative manipulation. Burton warns that this absence of explicit American allied support for Japan against Chinese coercion is "repugnant," undermining the credibility of the U.S.-Japan security alliance and emboldening Beijing to escalate pressure against regional partners through nuclear threats and strategic intimidation.
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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is John Batchler. Colleague Charles Burton addresses the mystery of why the U.S. is speaking so
0:09.5	quietly, if at all, to point out that China's threats against the new Prime Minister of Japan are
0:16.2	unacceptable. China goes to Moscow and makes threats against the new Prime Minister of Japan, and that's unacceptable.
0:25.9	Why is the U.S. not speaking up and for its allies, best ally in Asia, maybe one of its best allies in the solar system?
0:33.8	No, definitely one of the best in the solar system. Japan. There is no answer here, but Charles
0:40.9	looks at over several sides of it and puzzles along with the rest of us. Japan is a trading partner
0:50.0	of the U.S. Japan is an ally. Japan is a transparent democracy.
0:54.8	Japan is a major part of the global financial system and manufacturing system.
1:01.0	China is none of those things except for what it elbows aside will leave out other words.
1:09.7	No easy answer.
1:11.4	Here's Charles Burton to establish the mystery
1:14.3	of why the U.S. is remaining on its back foot
1:17.9	as China misbehaves, threatens.
1:22.6	More of this tonight.
1:26.5	Otto was not voiced an opinion of Tokyo, and I think the real concern is that China
1:32.5	is using disinformation to give out the false impression that the Japan of today is the same
1:39.0	as the Japan of the 30s and 40s, you know, a militaristic, brutal regime that seeks expansion.
1:46.5	And we don't seem to be prepared to speak out on behalf of Japan's vibrant democracy
1:53.5	and responsible role in international affairs, including in third world development.
1:58.7	This is pretty repugnant, and I could see that the
2:02.9	Japanese would be deeply offended by the lack of support from countries that they thought were
2:09.8	like-minded allies that would support them against the Chinese assault. The Chinese assault seems to be
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