Recently, newly appointed US Ambassador to Japan George Glass and Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao engaged in a heated exchange on social media. The topics ranged from foreign students at Harvard University, the Tiananmen Square Incident of June 4th, to China’s ban on Japanese seafood.
George Glass arrived in Tokyo on April 18th as the new US Ambassador to Japan, emphasizing the need for increased cooperation between the US and Japan to counter China’s escalating military and economic expansion. He stated that resisting Beijing’s “predatory habits” would be crucial for deepening economic and security cooperation between the US and Japan, including addressing issues such as loan pressure and circumvention of trade rules.
On May 30th, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced that Japan and China had reached a consensus to resume the export of Japanese seafood to China, which had been suspended due to concerns over the Fukushima nuclear plant’s wastewater. However, the Japanese side did not specify the timeline for the actual resumption of exports.
Following this, Glass started criticizing China’s seafood ban on a social media platform, sparking a debate with Chinese “wolf warrior” Wu Jianghao.
On May 30th, Glass and former advisor to US President Trump, Jason Miller, dined together at a restaurant in Tokyo. Glass posted on a platform, saying, “Fresh Hokkaido scallops: a perfect appetizer for any meal. But if you’re dining in Beijing, you won’t have that pleasure. If China (the CCP) stops stalling and lifts the unjust ban on Japanese seafood, Chinese diners can witness the complete safety of Japanese seafood firsthand, as confirmed by international experts, including Chinese scientists, a long time ago.”
On June 2nd, Glass posted again on the platform, saying, “Surf and turf (seafood and steak) will have to wait. China (the CCP) may have agreed to lift the unjust ban on Japanese seafood imports, but Beijing’s unfair and decades-long ban on Japanese beef remains in effect. It’s no wonder more and more Chinese are moving to Japan – there, you always have both great food and daily freedom.”
With Japan relaxing visa requirements, not only the affluent class but also China’s middle class are increasingly relocating to Japan. Chinese nationals have become the largest foreign community in Japan. According to Japan’s Immigration Bureau data, by the end of 2024, there were 870,000 Chinese residents in Japan. It is estimated that by 2026, the number of Chinese residents in Japan will exceed 1 million.
On June 3rd, Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao responded to Glass’s posts. Wu wrote that Ambassador Glass was quite interested in non-supervisory areas of Sino-Japanese trade and personnel exchanges. Prior to that, he should pay more attention to issues such as Nippon Steel’s acquisition of American Steel and the future of Harvard University exchange students, including those from Japan.
As the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre approaches on June 4th, Glass posted a photo of the “Tank Man” from June 4th, stating, “Freedom and democracy are always worth fighting for. #TiananmenIncident.”
Glass also shared a post by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the events of June 4th: “We remember the ruthless crackdown by the Chinese Communist Party in Tiananmen Square 36 years ago and commemorate the courage of innocent people killed and imprisoned on that day. Freedom, democracy, and autonomy are universal principles that the Chinese Communist Party cannot erase.”
In response, Wu Jianghao posted a video of American police enforcement on a platform to mock American democracy.
Glass then countered Wu Jianghao’s post regarding Harvard University, writing, “It’s interesting to see Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao mentioning students.”
“The US welcomes students dedicated to learning and expanding their thinking—just like all the students who fled China to the US after the Tiananmen Square massacre,” Glass continued.