China Protests to Japan over Takaichi’s Remark on Taiwan

Beijing, Nov. 14 (Jiji Press)–Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong on Thursday summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi and lodged a strong protest over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark regarding a possible contingency over Taiwan, it was announced Friday. Sun said that Takaichi’s remark severely hurt the feelings of Chinese people and that the country’s 1.4 billion citizens will never forgive it. The Taiwan issue is at the heart of China’s core interests, Sun emphasized, adding that Japan must take full responsibility if it does not retract the remark. Separately, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Friday that if Japan were to use force in a contingency involving Taiwan, referring to Takaichi’s remark in question, it would only “suffer a crushing defeat” and “pay a heavy price.” Takaichi said at a parliamentary session last week that a contingency over Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, allowing the country to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Kanasugi argued back by explaining the intent of Takaichi’s remark and Japan’s position, according to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. The ambassador also strongly protested an online comment by China’s consul-general in Osaka, western Japan, over Takaichi’s remark and urged China to respond appropriately. The consul-general, Xue Jian, said in a post on X in response to Takaichi’s remark that “we just need to chop off their dirty heads without a moment of hesitation.” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference in Tokyo on Friday that the Japanese government’s stance on Taiwan is as stated in the 1972 Japan-China joint statement and has not changed. Kihara said the Chinese consul-general’s comment was regrettable. The Japanese government will continue to strongly urge the Chinese side to respond appropriately to the matter, he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]