China’s wolf warriors have a new target. Reuters reports that they’re resorting to barnyard language to attack Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s new prime minister. “Has her head been kicked by a donkey?” asked a social-media account linked to the state broadcaster CCTV. “If she continues to spew [scatological vulgarity] without any boundaries like this, Takaichi might have to pay the price!”
“We have no choice,” posted China’s consul general in Osaka, “but to cut off that dirty neck that has lunged at us without a moment’s hesitation. Are you ready?” That post has been taken down, but plenty of others jumped in. As the crisis escalated, Chinese officials urged Chinese tourists and businesspeople to avoid travel to Japan, warned students of risks they allegedly faced there and sent a flurry of coast guard ships to patrol waters claimed by Japan.