A serious diplomatic standoff has emerged between Japan and China centering around the Taiwan issue. The situation has intensified to the extent that Tokyo is dispatching a senior diplomat to Beijing in an effort to calm China and ease the current diplomatic tension.
According to a Reuters report published on Monday (November 17), Japanese media have reported that a senior diplomat will travel to Beijing to de-escalate the situation centered on Taiwan.
The tensions reportedly began after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made a controversial statement in the Parliament. She stated that if China were to launch an attack on Taiwan, it would pose a threat to Japan’s security and could lead to a military response.
Until now, Japanese officials have avoided making such explicit remarks publicly, fearing it could further anger Beijing. China, on its part, claims that Taiwan is part of its territory.
Japanese media reports that Masaaki Kanai, head of the Asia and Oceania Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is scheduled to meet Liu Jinsong, an official from China’s Foreign Ministry. Kanai is expected to clarify that Takaichi’s comments do not signify any change in Japan’s security policy, while also urging China to refrain from actions that could harm bilateral relations.
However, Japan’s foreign ministry has yet to officially confirm whether Kanai will indeed visit China.
Last Friday, Beijing warned that Japan would face “devastating defeat” if it intervened militarily over Taiwan. China also issued a travel advisory for its citizens against visiting Japan, raising concerns for Japan’s tourism industry.
Earlier, during a press briefing in New Taipei last Monday, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te accused China of launching a “multi-pronged attack” against Japan, seriously undermining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“I call on the international community to closely monitor the situation. China must act with restraint and behave responsibly as a major power. It is not their role to jeopardize regional stability. Returning to a rules-based international order would be in China’s best interest,” he added.
President Lai and his administration have consistently rejected Beijing’s claims of sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media continues to fiercely criticize the Japanese prime minister. On Monday, the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, stated in an editorial: “Takaichi’s dangerous comments have inflamed everyone. From a strategic standpoint, her remarks are irresponsible and a deliberate provocation.”
