China has sharply criticised Japan after new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested earlier this month that Tokyo could consider military action if China attempted a naval blockade or similar operation against Taiwan. Beijing said the comments amounted to crossing a diplomatic “red line.”
In a statement published Sunday on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website, Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Takaichi’s remarks “shocking,” saying Japan’s leadership had sent “the wrong signal” by openly discussing potential military involvement in the Taiwan Strait.
“It is shocking that Japan’s current leaders have publicly sent the wrong signal of attempting military intervention in the Taiwan issue, said things they shouldn’t have said, and crossed a red line that should not have been touched,” Wang said. He added that China would “resolutely respond” and urged the international community to help “prevent the resurgence of Japanese militarism.”
Tensions have escalated steadily since Takaichi’s comments. On Friday, Beijing sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres denouncing Japan’s stance as a “grave violation of international law.” In the letter, China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong warned that any Japanese military involvement in a Taiwan conflict would be considered an act of aggression.
“If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression,” Fu wrote. “China will resolutely exercise its right of self-defense under the UN Charter and international law and firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan—once a Japanese colony—to be part of its territory, rejects the involvement of foreign governments, especially those aligned with the United States. Washington remains Taiwan’s primary weapons supplier, and Japan and the Philippines have taken increasingly vocal positions on regional security.
Takaichi’s comments mark a tougher stance compared with previous Japanese leaders, who have warned about China’s growing pressure on Taiwan but have avoided specifying how Tokyo might respond militarily.
Although the prime minister has refused to retract her statement, she has indicated she will refrain from discussing hypothetical scenarios going forward.