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China summoned Japan’s ambassador Beijing amid ongoing controversy Sanae Takaichi’s Comment Suggestion of attack on Taiwan can trigger a Japani Military response.
Beijing And tokyo The dispute sparked protests throughout the week, reviving long-standing tensions between the two Asian neighbors and underscoring China’s sensitivity. taiwan, It claims the self-ruled island as its own territory.
the queue has started on one Japani The parliamentary committee last week, when an opposition lawmaker pressed Ms Takachi on what kind of situation around Taiwan could threaten Japan’s existence.
“If there are warships and the use of force, no matter how you think about it, it could pose an existential threat,” she responded.
Under Japan’s 2015 security law, an “existential-threat situation” is a defined legal category that allows the country’s self-defense forces to operate if an attack by a close ally – usually understood to mean the United States – poses an existential threat to Japan.
tokyo Has historically avoided explaining how it might respond taiwan conflict, Maintaining a form of strategic ambiguity adopted by Washington.
Beijing condemned Ms Takaichi’s comments as “serious”.
Reaction intensified after China’s Consul General Zhu Jian OsakaReposted an article on X (formerly Twitter) with his own message that “the dirty head that sticks in itself should be cut off”.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the intention of the comment “could not be clearer” but called it “extremely inappropriate”. Tokyo lodged a formal protest and Beijing countered Ms Takaichi’s statement.
however Osaka The consul’s post was later removed Ms Takachi refused to withdraw her comments on Tuesday, saying they were “in line with the government’s traditional position”, while also saying she would avoid hypothetical scenarios in the future.
China increased its response on Thursday.
Its Foreign Ministry warned in Japanese and English that Japan should “stop playing with fire”, calling on anyone Intervention in the Taiwan Strait An “act of aggression”.
Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong then summoned Ambassador Kenji Kanasugi, accusing Ms Takachi’s comments of being “extremely wrong and dangerous” and demanding she retract them. State media quoted Mr Sun as saying that “otherwise all the consequences will have to be borne by Japan”.
According to Mr. Kihara, Ambassador Kanasugi told Chinese officials that Japan’s stance “has not changed” and stressed Tokyo’s position Taiwan related issues The solution should be found peacefully. He also expressed Japan’s objection to the post of Osaka consul, calling it “extremely inappropriate”.
China’s statement, issued through the Foreign Ministry and the official Xinhua news agency, linked the dispute to historical grievances.
Mr Sun said Ms Takachi’s comments violated international norms, harmed the post-war order and seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, Xinhua News reported.
According to the outlet, he warned that Taiwan is central to China’s core interests and an untouchable red line, stressing that the 1.4 billion Chinese people will never tolerate this.
The nationalist tone was echoed by the state media.
The Communist Party’s People’s Daily described Ms Takachi as the first Japanese leader in 80 years to threaten the use of force against China and described her stance as “extremely appalling”.
China’s military reposted the Foreign Ministry’s warning on its official account in several languages, including Japanese.
Ms. Takachi, disciple of the late Prime Minister shinzo abeShe is known for her radical views on China and long-standing support for Taiwan.
Earlier this year he met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in Taipei and said in October after taking office, “Taiwan is an important partner and important friend”. He had previously argued that a blockade or invasion of the island could directly threaten Japan.
Relations between the two countries had recently shown signs of stabilization after China eased restrictions on Japanese seafood imports and President Xi Jinping met Ms Takachi at a regional summit in South Korea. Ambassador Kanasugi echoed that cordial tone on Thursday, saying the two neighbors should manage their disagreements despite “ups and downs.”
But the latest dispute shows how quickly tensions can escalate. China considers Taiwan an internal matter and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control. Japan, which is located close to Taiwan and home to major US military bases, is becoming increasingly vocal about the importance of the island to its security.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that there was no need for Ms Takaichi to retract her comments. “Our interpretation of our security law and what constitutes an ‘existential threat’ is very clear,” he said, according to Bloomberg’s report. “It does not violate any international law in any way.”
Former US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns told Bloomberg TV that the Osaka consul’s message was “absolutely reprehensible”, adding that Japan’s proximity to Taiwan means it will inevitably be concerned about developments there.