Motegi Rebuts Chinese Criticism of Japan as Groundless

Munich, Feb. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Saturday criticized his Chinese counterpart for making groundless comments critical of Japan at an international conference in Germany. The claims made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference “were not based on facts,” Motegi said, seeking to counter what appeared to be Wang’s intention to promote narratives favorable to China in Europe. Referring to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks from last year over a possible Taiwan contingency, Wang said that ghosts of militarism are haunting Japan, where ambitions to invade and exert colonial rule over the island still persist. “Japan has consistently followed the path of a peaceful nation since the end of World War II and is contributing to the peace and stability of the international community,” Motegi said. Japan hopes that the Taiwan issue will be resolved peacefully through dialogue, he reiterated. Meanwhile, Motegi said that Chinese President Xi Jinping stood alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the military parade in Beijing last September. “Japan is taking seriously the implications of the progress in their cooperative relationship and its impact on regional stability,” Motegi added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]