Politics Takaichi's Taiwan comments cause row with China

[thomas]

After a relatively successful meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea, Sino-Japanese relations seem to have soured quickly following PM Takaichi's Taiwan comments:


PM Takaichi, speaking during Diet deliberations on 10 November, maintained her earlier position and refused to withdraw her statement that Japan would support Taiwan if it came under attack and the situation posed a direct threat to Japan's security. During a session of the Lower House Budget Committee, opposition lawmaker Hiroshi Ogushi of the Constitutional Democratic Party referred to her remarks from 7 November, when she had said that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could amount to a "survival-threatening situation." In such a case, she explained, Japan might authorise the Self-Defence Forces to act under the right of collective self-defence. Takaichi added that she saw no reason to retract her earlier comments, as they reflected the stance taken by previous administrations.

Takaichi doesn’t budge from past controversial comments | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Reacting to Takaichi's comments, the head of the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka posted the following on social media: "We have no choice but to cut off that dirty neck that has lunged at us without a moment's hesitation. Are you ready?"

Chinese Consul-General in Osaka, Xue Jian

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said on Monday that while the intent of Xue's post "was not entirely clear," it was "extremely inappropriate." Japan's foreign ministry and the Japanese embassy in China lodged a strong protest with Beijing and demanded the deletion of the post, Kihara said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference on Monday that Xue's post was a response to Takaichi's "wrongful and dangerous" remarks on Taiwan, urging Tokyo to "take a hard look at its historical responsibilities." Asked by a reporter whether Japan would expel the envoy, Kihara said Xue had made "multiple inappropriate statements" and that Japan has made repeated representations to Beijing to take appropriate action.

Japan protests Chinese envoy’s beheading post tied to Takaichi | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Paywall alert:

Japan condemns China envoy's 'extremely inappropriate' remarks in Taiwan row

Beijing blames Takaichi's 'wrongful and dangerous' comments as furor escalates

asia.nikkei.com

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I'm pretty sure if China decides to aggressively take over Taiwan , it will lead to WWIII. I don't think there would be any way that Japan could stay out of it.

 

[thomas]

The Guardian on the issue:

Japan and China in growing row after PM Takaichi says Taiwan conflict could trigger military deployment

New prime minister says an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of her country’s self-defence forces if the conflict poses threat to Japan

www.theguardian.com

I'm unsure why Takaichi felt she had to raise this issue so soon after taking office and barely a week after meeting Xi Jinping. Several editorials expressed the same concerns:

Editorial: Japan PM's remarks on Taiwan contingency reckless, awareness of weight of words needed - The Mainichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated at a recent House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting that a Taiwan contingency could constitute

mainichi.jp

Takaichi doesn’t budge from past controversial comments | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[thomas]

As much as I disagree with PM Takaichi's political views and policies, I'm somehow impressed with her defiance. Wise or not, she stands up to the bully:

Beijing let it be known on Friday that it had called in Japan's ambassador to lodge a formal complaint over recent remarks by PM Takaichi about Taiwan. This move signalled rising friction only weeks after she met with President Xi Jinping. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong was said to have met Ambassador Kenji Kanasugi, pressing Tokyo to withdraw Takaichi's statements. The new Japanese prime minister had told a Diet committee a week earlier that Japan would find itself in a "survival-threatening situation" if Taiwan were attacked — a classification that could allow the Self-Defence Forces to take part in limited collective self-defence operations.

She made the point while responding to a hypothetical raised by an opposition member, who asked how Japan would react if China — which continues to claim Taiwan as its own — attacked the island and pulled in U.S. forces. In doing so, she was essentially restating the argument once made by the late Shinzo Abe, who had warned that any conflict over Taiwan would, by its very nature, draw Japan in as well. Takaichi, who often identifies herself as an heir to Abe's political thinking, has not backed away from her view, even after several days of sharp criticism from Beijing. In a later parliamentary exchange this week, however, she did note that she would exercise greater caution in how she framed such issues.

Beijing's furious response could be construed as a warning shot against the "new golden age" Japan-U.S. alliance struck by Takaichi and President Donald Trump at the end of last month. On Oct. 28, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged Japan to respect the security concerns of neighbouring countries, saying that any strengthening of U.S.-Japan ties or security cooperation should not be aimed at anyone but should be focused solely on regional peace and stability.

Paywall alert:

China summons Japan envoy over Takaichi's Taiwan remarks

Beijing slams 'unrepentant' Tokyo; some Japanese lawmakers urge Osaka consul's expulsion

asia.nikkei.com

 

[thomas]

Chinese state and social media indulge in showing off "diplomatic superiority." After talks in Beijing between Kanai Masaaki, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, footage showed Liu, with his hands in his pockets, chatting with Kanai.

The coverage was presented as if Liu were lecturing Kanai. Other Chinese media outlets even ran articles under such headlines as: "Japanese senior official leaves Chinese Foreign Ministry with head bowed."

Chinese media footage worsens Tokyo-Beijing bickering | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Images of Japan official appearing to bow before China counterpart go viral - The Mainichi

BEIJING (Kyodo) --Images of a senior Japanese official appearing to bow before his Chinese counterpart have gone viral on Chinese social media, prompt

mainichi.jp

 

[Ukigumo]

Hand in his pockets? If ever there was reason to go to war, that gesture is it!

 

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Mina-san!

Don't be fooled by fake photos and videos. The truth is that Liu Jinsong danced to the music and entertaining Kanai Masaaki.

The fake photos and videos are a conspiracy to push Japan and China towards war. This is the actual video.



The Japanese people are friends of the Chinese, and the Chinese people are friends of the Japanese.

NANGI

 

[Ukigumo]

Our school teachers would bellow at us, "What are you doing with your hand in your pockets?" The braver kids were reply, "Playing billiards, sir!" before being held in after school detention.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

As a police officer , must have said a hundred times "Keep your hands where I can see them , NOT in your pockets".

 

[mdchachi]

Our school teachers would bellow at us, "What are you doing with your hand in your pockets?" The braver kids were reply, "Playing billiards, sir!" before being held in after school detention.

Were you ever warned that you could not have any pudding if you didn't eat your meat? How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?

 

[Ukigumo]

Were you ever warned that you could not have any pudding if you didn't eat your meat? How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?

Leave those veggies alone!

 

[thomas]

Back on topic:

A surprisingly insightful piece by CNN on why China feels so challenged by the Japanese PM's comments.

The furor appears carefully calibrated to send a warning to Japan – and other countries in the region – of what could happen if they even consider taking a stance at odds with China on Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island that Beijing claims as its own territory. But the spat, which shows no sign of abating roughly two weeks on, also reveals something else: Beijing's deep-seated concerns about the potential for changing military postures in Asia – as US allies ramp up defense spending and coordination in the face of its own rising military might. No other country piques those concerns like Japan, whose Imperial Army in the 20th century invaded, occupied and waged atrocities on China and, decades earlier, colonized Taiwan – key pain points in China's so-called "century of humiliation" at the hands of foreign powers.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/20/china/china-japan-takaichi-analysis-intl-hnk

 

[Ukigumo]

The first question here is very interesting…good ol' Rory!

 

[thomas]

Very interesting, but - to my best knowledge - swordsmithing had never been forbidden in Japan.

 

[Ukigumo]

Yeah, he probably meant martial arts which were prohibited after the war but found ingenious ways of fooling their American occupiers by calling them things like 'Chinese boxing'! Boxing was OK after all!

The detailed techniques of swordsmithing were kind of 'forgotten' in the years after the Meiji restoration and were, in part relearned at a forge located in Yasakuni Shrine. The ability to reliably produce attractive 'utsuri' on sword blades ate currently hit and miss. I went to visit the Yasakuni forge but now it's a tea hut!

 

[thomas]

China has now carried its dispute with Japan to the United Nations, where it argued that Tokyo's recent remarks amounted to a threat of "armed intervention" over Taiwan. In a letter sent on Friday to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Beijing's ambassador, Fu Cong, said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had crossed a legal and diplomatic line when she suggested that a Chinese move against Taiwan could prompt a military response from Japan.

According to the statement released by China's mission, Fu described such a step by Japan as an act of aggression and warned that Beijing would regard it as grounds to invoke its right of self-defence under the U.N. Charter. He stressed that China would respond firmly to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China takes spat with Japan over Taiwan to UN, vows to defend itself

Beijing used China's strongest language yet in a letter to the United Nations.

www.reuters.com

While Takaichi's comments were poorly judged and poorly timed, Japan never issued anything resembling a threat of armed intervention, in contrast to Beijing's behaviour, which has effectively taken control of large stretches of the South China Sea and has pressured its neighbours for many years. Political relations between China and Japan are likely to stay strained for the time being, yet one can only hope that day-to-day ties in business and tourism will prevail.

Some residents view the issue from the perspective of overtourism:

 

[Ukigumo]

I think Takaichi's undiplomatic language is very serious. Is this how she's going to continually conduct herself in future? The body language between Kanai and Liu Jinsong is very telling and the arrogance of the latter…I'd've punched him in his smug face!

This is how Takaichi should've worded her statement:
'To the world, Taiwan looks like a sovereign state, behaves like a sovereign state and seems to think of itself as a sovereign state. It has been in this situation for a very long time and its people have enjoyed the freedoms of being independent for that entire duration. Almost like a 'statute of limitations', we believe any forced reversal of that would be unjust and likely, against the wishes of the Taiwanese people. Japan would like to diplomatically support the Taiwanese and help them forge a lasting, peaceful relationship with China so all three great nations can cooperate, exchange in trade and continue to have a meaningful cultural exchange as a sovereign nations. Failing that I'd suggest arranging a boxing match between Lai ' Sovereign' Ching-te and Xi 'Winnie the Pooh' Jiping. Five rounds, 3 minute duration each, winner takes all, which I would referee.'

Something like that, anyway…

 

[thomas]

It would have sufficed to stress that her administration's Taiwan policy aligned with that of previous Japanese governments.

 

[Ukigumo]

It would have sufficed to stress that her administration's Taiwan policy aligned with that of previous Japanese governments.

What about the boxing bit?

 

[thomas]

How about a bout of Sumo ?

 

[Grandpa Frank]

If China is dumb enough to go to war over Taiwan , I think there are enough allies to kick their butt. The big danger is Russia and North Korea joining in and getting nuke weapons involved. I've always felt a surprise attack on all spy satellites and communications sats will be how WWIII gets started. My humble opinion , the mid-east will be where the next big conflict will start instead of the Asian area. Sure would be nice to have world peace and no worries of war someday.

 

[NANGI]

Minasan Konnichiwa!

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, many people laughed when Zelensky said Russia would start a war. Everyone believed that Russia was not so stupid...

If someone had told them before Israel launched its invasion of Gaza that Netanyahu would massacre over 60,000 civilians, no one would have believed them. Everyone believed that Israel is not so stupid...

But both actually happened.

Xi Jinping dreams of reviving former imperial territories. This includes not only Taiwan, but also the territories of Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and Russia. Furthermore, they are also considering invading the Pacific and India, which were not part of the former empire.

China's invasion of Taiwan is just the first step in Xi Jinping's ambitions. For this reason, not only Japan but also other Asian countries now view China's actions as dangerous.

Border disputes between China and India have been ongoing for a long time. Recently, skirmishes with the Philippines have also increased. Russia and North Korea are also growing wary of Xi Jinping's ambitions.

The reason China does not fully support Russia is because it expects border conflicts between the two countries to occur again in the future. The rift between North Korea and China also began more than a decade ago.

In the end, whether Takaichi makes a statement or not, it is natural for China to threaten Japan.

The map of China's expanding territory
From Reuters

China's new territorial claims
From CBC

Incidentally, both the Northern Territories and the Senkaku Islands were Japanese territory on maps during Mao Zedong's time. However, on current Chinese maps, neither of these areas are Japanese territory.

NANGI

 

[Lothor]

Minasan Konnichiwa!

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, many people laughed when Zelensky said Russia would start a war. Everyone believed that Russia was not so stupid...

If someone had told them before Israel launched its invasion of Gaza that Netanyahu would massacre over 60,000 civilians, no one would have believed them. Everyone believed that Israel is not so stupid...

But both actually happened.

Xi Jinping dreams of reviving former imperial territories. This includes not only Taiwan, but also the territories of Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and Russia. Furthermore, they are also considering invading the Pacific and India, which were not part of the former empire.

China's invasion of Taiwan is just the first step in Xi Jinping's ambitions. For this reason, not only Japan but also other Asian countries now view China's actions as dangerous.

Border disputes between China and India have been ongoing for a long time. Recently, skirmishes with the Philippines have also increased. Russia and North Korea are also growing wary of Xi Jinping's ambitions.

The reason China does not fully support Russia is because it expects border conflicts between the two countries to occur again in the future. The rift between North Korea and China also began more than a decade ago.

In the end, whether Takaichi makes a statement or not, it is natural for China to threaten Japan.

The map of China's expanding territory
From Reuters

China's new territorial claims
From CBC

Incidentally, both the Northern Territories and the Senkaku Islands were Japanese territory on maps during Mao Zedong's time. However, on current Chinese maps, neither of these areas are Japanese territory.

NANGI

I'm not disagreeing with your other comments, but Japan also has maps that are at odds with the rest of the world, claiming that disputed territories belong to it and that Russian Sakhalin is disputed. I'm sure other countries do this too. In that way, China is no different from any other country involved in a territorial dispute.

It's wrong to criticize China for behaving in a way that Japan also behaves. If it's wrong, it's wrong, whoever is doing it.

 

[Ukigumo]

Minasan Konnichiwa!

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, many people laughed when Zelensky said Russia would start a war. Everyone believed that Russia was not so stupid...

Not 'Russia' but Putin; I think there's a difference and Putin is mad! Bare-chested, horseback calendars every year, a gait that is an affectation. He's essentially a child (like Trump).

If someone had told them before Israel launched its invasion of Gaza that Netanyahu would massacre over 60,000 civilians, no one would have believed them. Everyone believed that Israel is not so stupid...

Not 'Israel', but Netanyahu; I think there's a difference and he's a failing politician trying to avoid prosecution by staying in power.

Xi Jinping dreams of reviving former imperial territories. This includes not only Taiwan, but also the territories of Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and Russia. Furthermore, they are also considering invading the Pacific and India, which were not part of the former empire.

I think this is a conspiratorial fantasy. India? Japan? Russia? ‍

China's invasion of Taiwan is just the first step in Xi Jinping's ambitions.

Taiwan's absorption into China by Chiang Kai-shek was delayed (for some reason I can't remember) and so China's government has always believed that was unfinished business but I think there's an unwritten statute of limitation that has long expired. I agree that if Jiping invades unopposed, it'll embolden him. But Jiping is up to no good behind the scenes; he's funding the military junta fighting the democracy rebels in Burma, for example and even sending Chinese troops to fight Burmese freedom fighters.

For this reason, not only Japan but also other Asian countries now view China's actions as dangerous.

Very dangerous to low economically strong countries.

Border disputes between China and India have been ongoing for a long time.

I don't think the world would allow a Chinese invasion of the world's largest economy. They'd intercede.

Recently, skirmishes with the Philippines have also increased. Russia and North Korea are also growing wary of Xi Jinping's ambitions.

The reason China does not fully support Russia is because it expects border conflicts between the two countries to occur again in the future. The rift between North Korea and China also began more than a decade ago.

In the end, whether Takaichi makes a statement or not, it is natural for China to threaten Japan.

The map of China's expanding territory
From Reuters

China's new territorial claims
From CBC

Incidentally, both the Northern Territories and the Senkaku Islands were Japanese territory on maps during Mao Zedong's time. However, on current Chinese maps, neither of these areas are Japanese territory.

NANGI

So what do we do? All out nuclear war?

 

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Ukigumo-san!

Not 'Russia' but Putin; I think there's a difference and Putin is mad!

That's certainly true.

Perhaps the naked images were unpopular, as in recent calendars he has appeared in suits. I still don't want it.

Or maybe he's worried about his physical decline and is wearing a suit.


Not 'Israel', but Netanyahu; I think there's a difference

It is true that Netanyahu's regime is becoming a dictatorship in Israel. But the Israeli military is not massacring civilians under the terror of Russian-style barrier troops.


I think this is a conspiratorial fantasy. India? Japan? Russia?

No one saw the demand for the cession of the Sudetenland as the first step in the Nazi ambition to unite Europe.

No one thought Putin, who dreams of restoring a great Russia, would actually start the war.


China's government has always believed that was unfinished business but I think there's an unwritten statute of limitation that has long expired.

In China, it is common for promises(rule or statute of limitations) to be broken.


Very dangerous to low economically strong countries.

South America and Africa are being bought by Xi Jinping. And Trump is assisting Xi Jinping by cutting foreign aid.


I don't think the world would allow a Chinese invasion of the world's largest economy. They'd intercede.

The US is deeply divided and may not be able to afford to deploy its military abroad. But perhaps they will try to unify the country by portraying China and Russia as external enemies.

In that case, tensions between countries may continue, but large-scale wars will be prevented.

In the worst case scenario, Europe will be busy playing games with Putin, and the US will make a deal with China and Putin and get out of the game.

Southeast Asia and Oceania will be defeated one by one by China.


So what do we do? All out nuclear war?

We will do everything in our power to do what Xi Jinping dislikes.

Xi Jinping is trying to stop Chinese people from traveling to Japan because it is dangerous. In that case, Japan should do its utmost to welcome Chinese visitors to Japan.

Letting the Chinese people know that what Xi Jinping is saying is wrong would be the biggest blow to his face.

Mutual understanding is necessary to avoid war. What we need is a smile, not a threat.

NANGI