Last week at Japan’s Diet, PM Sanae Takaichi warned that a Chinese mainland “use of force on Taiwan” could threaten Japan’s survival 😲. She refused to back down on the suggestion of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait. Naturally, this set off fireworks across China.
On Saturday, the People’s Liberation Army Daily ran a front-page commentary calling her comments “ignorant of history and reality,” accusing Japan’s right wing of using Taiwan as an excuse for military expansion. The article warned that any attempt to “interfere in the Taiwan question” would meet a “crushing defeat” by the steel-willed PLA 💥.
Flagship People’s Daily agreed, noting it’s the first time since 1945 that a Japanese leader has publicly linked Taiwan’s security to Japan’s collective self-defense. Analysts say this is a dangerous echo of past militarism.
- Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin slammed the remarks as “extremely wrong and dangerous.”
- Cai Liang of the Shanghai Institutes called it a “serious regression” in Japan’s stance on cross-strait ties.
- Former Kuomintang Chair Hung Hsiu-chu bluntly told Japan, “Taiwan is no longer a Japanese colony.”
Social media also lit up. On thepaper.cn, one user asked, “Can Takaichi bear the consequences of going against the entire Chinese people?” Another on sina.com warned, “Anyone who interferes in the Taiwan Strait will pay a heavy price.” 🚨
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs even advised Chinese citizens to reconsider travel to Japan, citing risks to safety amid the “worsened atmosphere” in people-to-people exchanges.
This week, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian urged Japan to retract its “unjustified remarks.” Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japan’s ambassador to lodge a formal protest, demanding an apology and correction.
Meanwhile, Chen Binhua from the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office reminded everyone of Japan’s colonial-era crimes in Taiwan, saying Takaichi’s comments “cannot be accepted or condoned.”
As cross-strait tensions flare up again, all eyes are on Tokyo and Beijing to see if cooler heads will prevail 🤝.
Reference(s):
Outrage, rebuke from across China over Japanese PM's erroneous remarks
cgtn.com
