// Office of the Prime Minister of Japan
On Friday, Tokyo summoned the Chinese ambassador to express its protest regarding remarks made by a senior diplomat about Prime Minister Sanae Takahiti.
The diplomatic scandal erupted after Takahiti stated in her speech to parliament last week that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose a "survival threat" and provoke military responses from Japan.
Last week, the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, made a comment on platform X regarding Takahiti's statements, which included a call to "cut off the dirty neck," drawing subsequent criticism.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Xue's words, calling them "extremely inappropriate." Some Japanese politicians are demanding the expulsion of the Chinese diplomat; however, Tokyo has asked Beijing to take appropriate measures.
A representative of the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Jiang Bin, warned that if Japan intervenes in the Taiwan issue, it will face a crushing defeat from the People's Liberation Army of China.
On Thursday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Japanese ambassador to express its protest — the first time in more than two years: the last time the ambassador was summoned was in August 2023 due to the situation with the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant into the sea.
The Chinese authorities expressed concern about Japan's military actions, including uncertainty regarding its nuclear disarmament. Ministry representative Lin Jian noted that Japan's decision to potentially acquire nuclear submarines indicates negative changes in its policy.
On Friday evening, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan, citing the deterioration of bilateral relations and significant risks.
The newspaper "Renmin Ribao" pointed to Japan's active military buildup and attempts to rewrite the history of aggression, which raises concerns.
According to Japanese broadcaster NTV, the Chinese embassy in Tokyo warned its staff against going out due to increasing anti-Chinese sentiments.
Japanese government spokesperson Minoru Kihara emphasized that Tokyo is striving for a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue through dialogue.
On Friday, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China criticized ruling party legislator Pumu Sheng for his trip to Berlin. The next day, Chinese police announced a manhunt for two Taiwanese bloggers accused of separatism and offered a reward of $35,000 for their capture.
