During a meeting with Ambassador Wu Jianghao, the Japanese side expressed a "strong protest" regarding the "extremely inappropriate remarks" made by the Chinese consul. The Japanese leadership strongly recommended that China take necessary measures in connection with the incident that occurred.
This incident has become yet another manifestation of the growing tension in relations between China and Japan. Earlier, Jiang Bin, the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the People's Republic of China, stated that Japan could face a "crushing defeat" if it decides to resort to military force in the context of the situation surrounding Taiwan.
Jiang Bin reacted to Sanae Takaiti's comments that possible actions by China regarding Taiwan could pose a "survival threat" to Japan and justify Tokyo's exercise of the right to collective self-defense. He characterized the Japanese Prime Minister's statements as "gross interference" in China's internal affairs, emphasizing that the Taiwan issue is an "exclusively internal matter" for Beijing.
In turn, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Lin Jian, also condemned the statements of the Japanese Prime Minister, urging Japan to retract its "outrageous remarks," otherwise Tokyo "will bear responsibility." Lin Jian noted that Sanae Takaiti's words "exceed the acceptable" and violate the principle of "One China," which serves as the foundation for bilateral relations.
He also warned that any attempts by Japan to interfere in the military settlement around the Taiwan Strait would be regarded as aggression, and in such a case, Beijing "reserves the right to a resolute response."
