Source CNBC
BEIJING/TOKYO—A major diplomatic crisis is escalating between China and Japan after Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated Sunday that it was “shocking” for Japan’s leader to openly signal a potential military intervention over the Taiwan question. China views the remarks as crossing an inviolable “red line” and has vowed to “resolutely hit back.”
The latest escalation comes weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on November 7 that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could be considered a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially triggering a military response under its right to collective self-defense.
China’s Strong Condemnation
Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the most senior Chinese official to weigh in publicly, released a blistering statement following his diplomatic trip to Central Asian states.
“It is shocking for a sitting Japanese leader to openly send a wrong signal of attempting to intervene militarily in the Taiwan question,” Wang said, according to a statement posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. He asserted that the Taiwan issue is a “red line that should not have been touched.”
Wang stressed that China’s response would be firm, not only to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity but also to “defend the hard-won postwar achievements secured with blood and sacrifice.” Beijing regards Taiwan as its own territory, to be unified by force if necessary.
Escalating Tensions and UN Involvement
The comments by Prime Minister Takaichi, a conservative nationalist, have sparked what analysts are calling the most significant China-Japan crisis in years, leading to a cascade of retaliatory measures and warnings from Beijing.
UN Letter: China’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Fu Cong, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, accusing Tokyo of threatening “an armed intervention” and committing a “grave violation of international law.” Fu warned that an armed intervention would be considered an “act of aggression” by China, which would exercise its right to self-defense.
Economic Measures: The row has also spread to trade, with China reportedly reimposing a recently lifted ban on Japanese seafood imports and issuing a travel alert for Chinese citizens visiting Japan.
Japan’s Stance: Japan has rejected China’s claims and calls for Takaichi to retract her remarks. Tokyo maintains that its statements are a reflection of national security concerns, given Taiwan’s proximity to Japanese territory, and are based on its own interpretation of regional threats. Japan’s commitment to peace, its foreign ministry has stated, remains unchanged.
The heightened rhetoric underscores a growing chasm between the two major Asian powers over the future of the Taiwan Strait.
This video discusses China’s anger following a meeting between Japan’s Prime Minister and a Taiwanese leader, which Beijing saw as sending a “Gravely Wrong Signal.”
