This week, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on the Taiwan question have sent ripples through diplomatic corridors. At a Diet meeting last week, she warned that the Chinese mainland’s use of force on Taiwan could pose a survival-threatening situation for Japan, refusing to retract her remarks despite formal protests from Beijing.
In the early hours of Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong—acting on instructions from his superiors—summoned Japanese Ambassador Kenji Kanasugi to deliver a stern rebuke. Experts say this phrasing signals direct involvement from China’s highest leadership, elevating the issue beyond a routine diplomatic exchange.
Over the past few days, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office and the Ministry of National Defense echoed Beijing’s condemnation, characterizing Takaichi’s statements as a serious breach of international law and an affront to national dignity. The Foreign Ministry warned that all the consequences shall be borne by Japan, a phrase analysts interpret as a clear signal that countermeasures could follow.
Analyst Ding Nuozhou of Nankai University notes that roughly 80 percent of China’s existing counter-sanctions related to Taiwan have targeted Japanese politicians. Potential steps include suspending intergovernmental exchanges across economic, diplomatic, and military channels—tactics Beijing has deployed in past disputes under the same warning.
Even more striking was the mention of a crushing defeat should Tokyo act on this risk. While historically rare in China–Japan diplomacy, this wording carries explicit military connotations, signaling that the incident has escalated to a matter of principle touching core national interests.
Context matters. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Lyu Yaodong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences highlights that Japan’s post-war constitution, under the UN Charter and Article 9, renounces war as a means of settling disputes. Takaichi’s remarks, he argues, undermine the very foundations of the post-war order in East Asia.
With tensions mounting in the Taiwan Strait, experts believe Beijing is ready to act swiftly. In a region marked by complex cross-strait ties and high-stakes security challenges, the coming days will test how far diplomatic brinkmanship can go before all sides are forced to recalibrate.
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Experts: China ready for countermeasures after Takaichi's provocation
cgtn.com
