Beijing has demanded that Tokyo withdraw recent remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan, warning that China will take “severe and resolute countermeasures” if Japan fails to retract or “continues its wrong trajectory,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said this Tuesday (19) during a press conference.
According to Mao, Takaichi’s comments “have severely undermined the political foundation of China–Japan relations and aroused public outrage and condemnation among the Chinese people.”
The diplomatic crisis erupted after Takaichi stated, during a parliamentary session in early November, that an “emergency in Taiwan” could constitute “a situation that threatens Japan’s existence.” Under Japan’s security legislation, this classification allows the country to engage in collective self-defense and take military action in support of allies, even if Japan itself is not directly attacked.
A Japanese delegation visited Beijing on Monday (18) in an attempt to ease tensions, but the meeting brought no significant progress.
Japan’s Kyodo News reported that the Chinese government, through formal diplomatic channels, had already notified Tokyo of its intention to suspend imports of Japanese seafood.
When asked about the measure, Mao Ning said Japan “failed to provide the promised technical documentation” related to the quality and safety of seafood exported to China.
“I would like to emphasize that, due to the malicious actions and false remarks of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on key issues such as Taiwan, the Chinese people have been deeply angered. Under the current circumstances, even if Japanese seafood were exported to China, there would be no market for it,” Mao said.
China questions Japan’s bid for a UN Security Council seat
China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, also reacted strongly to Takaichi’s statements. He said her remarks about Taiwan “constitute a gross interference in China’s internal affairs and a serious violation of the One China principle and of the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“Such statements challenge international justice, undermine the postwar international order, trample on the basic norms governing international relations, and mark a blatant departure from Japan’s commitment to a peaceful development path,” Fu declared. “A country that acts this way is completely unqualified to seek a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.”
The Chinese diplomat further warned that any attempt by Japan to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait would be viewed as “an act of aggression” and met with “a firm response from China.” “We will resolutely exercise our right to self-defense under the UN Charter and international law, and we will defend China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he affirmed.
Taiwan Affairs Office reiterates stance on ‘foreign interference’
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council, also commented on the escalating tensions, saying that China hopes “the broad masses of our compatriots in Taiwan will fully recognize the danger and harm of Japan’s grave actions and work with us to resolutely put an end to all separatist acts of Taiwan independence and foreign interference.”
Despite multiple diplomatic representations and public statements from China, the Japanese government has so far refused to retract Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments.
