China has sharply condemned Japan for suggesting it might intervene militarily if Beijing uses force against Taiwan, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warning that Tokyo has “crossed a red line” and sent a dangerous signal.
Wang, the most senior Chinese official to address the issue so far, reacted strongly to comments made earlier this month by Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. Takaichi said a Chinese naval blockade or any aggressive action toward Taiwan could justify a Japanese military response remarks Beijing described as “shocking.”
“It is shocking that Japan’s current leaders have publicly sent the wrong signal of attempting military intervention in the Taiwan issue, said things they shouldn’t have said, and crossed a red line that should not have been touched,” Wang said in a statement posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website.
He added that China must “resolutely respond” to Japan’s stance and argued that the international community has a responsibility to “prevent the resurgence of Japanese militarism,” invoking historical sensitivities dating back to Japan’s wartime occupation of Taiwan and parts of China.
Tensions have risen steadily in recent weeks. Beijing on Friday sent a formal letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing Takaichi of a “grave violation of international law” and warning of serious consequences if Japan ever attempted to enter a Taiwan conflict.
“If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression,” China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong wrote. “China will resolutely exercise its right of self-defense under the UN Charter and international law and firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
China views Taiwan which was ruled by Japan as a colony from 1895 to 1945 as part of its territory and has vowed to reunify with the island, by force if necessary. Beijing strongly opposes any foreign involvement in Taiwanese security, singling out the United States, along with US allies such as Japan and the Philippines, for deepening defense ties with Taipei.
Takaichi’s comments mark a sharper shift from the ambiguity maintained by previous Japanese leaders. While past prime ministers have expressed concern about China’s growing pressure on Taiwan, they have avoided publicly outlining how Japan might respond.
Though the Japanese leader later refused to retract her remarks, she said she would refrain from discussing hypothetical military scenarios in the future a move seen as an attempt to ease diplomatic tensions without walking back her position.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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