Escalating Tensions: China-Japan Diplomatic Spat Over Taiwan Comments

Beijing, Nov 10 (PTI) — Tensions between China and Japan have escalated following a Chinese diplomat's severe remarks aimed at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The diplomat's incendiary comments came in response to Takaichi’s statements regarding Tokyo's potential reaction to any Chinese military action against Taiwan, prompting a significant diplomatic upheaval.

Japan issued a formal protest after Chinese Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, made threats in a social media post. In his post, now deleted, Xue Jian referred to "cutting off dirty neck without a moment of hesitation" in response to Takaichi's parliamentary remarks. Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara called the post "extremely inappropriate" for a head of a Chinese diplomatic mission, as reported by Kyodo, a Japanese news agency.

The incident followed Takaichi's comments in a parliamentary committee last Friday, warning that a Chinese military strike on Taiwan could be a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, potentially prompting Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jiao accused Takaichi of "gross interference in China's internal affairs" and confirmed that Beijing had lodged its own protest with Tokyo. Lin refrained from commenting directly on the Consul General's remarks but maintained they were a reaction to what China perceives as provocations concerning Taiwan, deemed a crucial issue by Beijing.

"I hope Japan will stop creating confusion and shifting blame," Lin stated.

Takaichi, who recently became Japan's first female Prime Minister and is often perceived as a hardliner on China, is seen by Beijing as instigating tensions regarding Taiwan.

During the parliamentary session, Takaichi emphasized the gravity of the Taiwan situation. "We must assume the worst-case scenario," she said, citing increased Chinese military activities near Taiwan, an area geographically close to Japan.

Lin criticized Takaichi’s remarks for causing "serious damage to bilateral ties and challenging post-war international order." According to Lin, her comments “blatantly interfere in China's internal affairs and violate the One-China principle.”

He posed questions about Takaichi's intentions: "What signal does the Japanese leader intend to send to ‘Taiwan independence’ forces?" He further questioned Japan's motives: "Is Japan attempting to challenge China's core interests and obstruct the cause of national reunification? Where exactly does Japan want to take China-Japan relations?”

Lin deems any attempts to become involved in Taiwan-related issues as “an affront to international justice, a provocation to the post-war international order and a serious disruption to China-Japan relations.”

This diplomatic conflict arises not long after a meeting between Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 31, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea. During the meeting, Xi stressed the importance of maintaining crucial agreements concerning historical matters and Taiwan for the stability of Sino-Japanese relations.

Although China and Japan share a substantial trading relationship, booking a bilateral trade volume close to USD 300 billion last year, their relations are often fraught with tensions over territorial disputes, the Taiwan issue, and Japan’s close alignment with the US.

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