Diplomatic tensions between Japan and China over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan have escalated, with the countries approaching the United Nations to call out each other’s political stance.
What appeared to be a mere social media backlash has now blown into a full-fledged diplomatic war between the two neighbours.
Tokyo has sent a second letter to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, rebutting China’s assertions regarding remarks that Takaichi made about Taiwan earlier in November, when she told the Japanese Parliament (Diet) that a possible emergency involving the deployment of forces Japan could be considered if China uses its military power against Taiwan.
The letter was sent after Beijing had also forwarded its letter to the UN, denouncing Takaichi’s comments and calling out Japan’s “irresponsible and dangerous political moves”.
Reacting strongly to the Japanese Prime Minister’s comments, China called them “absurd and unacceptable”, with people on some Chinese social media handles abusing Takaichi for her comments.
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China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, sent a letter to Guterres on November 21 in which he demanded Takaichi retract the remarks.
Japan responded by sending a letter to the Secretary-General rebutting claims that were made in Congress’s first missive.
On Monday, the Chinese side sent another letter accusing Japan of playing a “dirty game” while once again demanding the retraction of Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan.
“The assertions contained therein are inconsistent with the facts, unsubstantiated, and categorically unacceptable,” said the letter.
China’s foreign ministry has said Takaichi’s comments were out of context and totally unacceptable to Beijing, as it considers Taiwan an inseparable part of the country under the one-China policy.
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