Former Japanese Leader Wants Japan to Stop Being So Team USA, Be Friends with China Too

 Yukio Hatoyama, who used to be the top guy in Japan, is telling Japan to chill out with the whole 'we're besties with the US' thing and start being buddies with China as well. He talked about this at a big peace event in Beijing called the World Peace Forum. Basically, he's saying Japan should be the middle-man who helps the US and China get along better, because right now, they're kind of like two kids fighting over a toy, and Japan's holding the toy.

Hatoyama's words come as Japan's been sticking pretty close to the US, especially with all the serious talk and military stuff. For a while now, Japan's been like the US's right-hand man in the area, mostly because of what happened in the big war a long time ago.

Time for Some Fair Play in Diplomacy

So, Hatoyama talked to a bunch of important people and said that Japan needs to stop playing favorites. He thinks Japan should be more of a peacemaker and not take sides so much. "Japan hasn't really been the middle-man in US-China talks; we've been kind of egging the US on to be tougher on China," he said.

Last year, Japan's big bosses came up with a plan that basically said China's not playing nice and that Taiwan is super important. This plan is even more intense than what the US is saying about China. Hatoyama's not a fan of this because it might make China think Japan's against them, which could lead to some serious drama.

Watch What You Say About China

Hatoyama also said that some Japanese big shots have been saying not-so-nice things about China, which isn't helping. People in Japan are listening and now they're scared of China, which makes solving their issues even harder. He's worried that the new leader in Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, might be getting some bad advice because of this.

Hatoyama's main point is that Japan should aim to keep everyone from fighting. "If Japan, the US, and China got into a fight, it would be a total mess," he said. He thinks Japan can help everyone get along by being the cool friend who talks to everyone.

But, he says that for Japan to be that cool friend, it can't just be all about the US. "The way Japan and China are acting right now isn't perfect," he said. "We've got to get past this."

As the world keeps getting more tense, Hatoyama's idea of Japan playing nice with everyone is a good reminder of how important it is for countries to be friends and not just stick with their usual groups.