Shinzo Abe owes Xi Jinping a debt of gratitude.
The buzz in Japanese cyberspace is that Chinese President Xi is wagging the dog by declaring a controversial ¡°air-defense identification zone¡± across the East China Sea. The move has drastically ramped up tensions with Japan and the United States, both of which have blatantly disregarded Beijing¡¯s unilateral edict. According to one prevailing theory, Xi is whipping up an international storm to change the subject domestically away from income inequality, official corruption and China¡¯s blackening skies.
The leader benefiting most from the controversy, though, may be Japan¡¯s Abe. With his own populace furious over China¡¯s unilateral decree, the prime minister is seizing the opportunity to rush a chilling official-secrets bill into law.
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