Beijing condemns Japan’s PM for suggesting military response over Taiwan, sparking diplomatic crisis and public outrage.
BEIJING: Chinese media and citizens expressed fury on Monday over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Tokyo could respond militarily if China uses force against Taiwan.
The comments, made on November 7, have escalated diplomatic tensions between the two nations, with Beijing summoning Japan’s ambassador and demanding a retraction.
“What does our country’s unification have to do with them?” asked 36-year-old Beijing restaurant worker Sun Gang, referring to China’s goal of taking Taiwan. “It’s like someone interfering in your own family.”
China’s consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, threatened to “cut off that dirty neck” in a since-deleted social media post, apparently referring to Takaichi, prompting Tokyo to summon China’s ambassador.
The Chinese embassy warned citizens against visiting Japan, citing “significant risks” to their safety amid the deteriorating bilateral atmosphere.
Online condemnation surged, with three of the top five trending topics on Weibo addressing the dispute on Monday morning.
State media intensified criticism, with the People’s Daily accusing Takaichi of “reviving the spectre of militarism” through her “fallacious remarks about Taiwan.”
A CCTV commentary warned that “if Sanae Takaichi refuses to repent, Japan will be eternally doomed.”
Despite the strong rhetoric, Beijing tech worker Daniel Feng described the government’s response as “very restrained” given what he called Takaichi’s “extremely unreasonable” remarks.
Beijing’s defence ministry cautioned on Friday that Japan would “pay a painful price” if it intervened in any Taiwan conflict.
Japan occupied Taiwan until its World War II defeat in 1945, with Beijing consistently maintaining that the island is an inalienable part of China’s territory. – AFP
