Outrage, rebuke from across China as Japanese PM's erroneous remarks boil over

BEIJING/TAIPEI -- Outrage and rebuke have stemmed from across China as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent provocative remarks on Taiwan continued to boil over.

At a Diet meeting last week, Takaichi said that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. She refused to retract her remark that implies the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

On Saturday, the People's Liberation Army Daily issued a commentary on its front page, voicing China's anger and firm opposition to the remarks, and said they exposed Takaichi's ignorance of both history and reality and revealed the Japanese right-wing's ambition to intervene militarily in Taiwan.

Japan's alleged "survival-threatening situation" is nothing but a complete pretext, as Japanese militarism has repeatedly used the term as an excuse to launch foreign invasions, bringing immense suffering and disaster to the people of Asia, including China, and to the world, according to the article.

The article fell in line with the remarks of defense ministry spokesman Jiang Bin, who warned that should the Japanese side fail to draw lessons from history and dare to take a risk, or even use force to interfere in the Taiwan question, it will only suffer a "crushing defeat against the steel-willed People's Liberation Army" and pay a heavy price.

The People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China, also published a commentary noting that Takaichi's comments mark the first time since Japan's defeat in 1945 that a Japanese leader has advocated Japan's "commitment" to Taiwan's security in an official setting while linking it to the exercise of collective self-defense.

It is also the first time that a Japanese leader has hinted possibility of military intervention in the Taiwan question and issued a threat of force against China, it said.

By linking the Taiwan question with the use of collective self-defense, what they are seeking is a pretext for military expansion — a dangerous sign of a resurgence of militarism, the article read.

The view was shared by Cai Liang, head of the Center for Northeast Asian Studies of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, who said that Takaichi's inflammatory remarks indicate a serious regression in Japan's stance on the Taiwan question.

The remarks not only seriously violated China's sovereignty, but also raised alarm in the international community about the dangerous scent of Japan repeating the path of militarism, he said.

"What happens in the Taiwan Strait is none of your business, Japanese," wrote Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang, on her Facebook page, adding that "we must make it clear: Taiwan is no longer a Japanese colony — hasn't been for a long time."

She stated that Japan has yet to offer a genuine apology or compensation for its oppression, killings, and the issue of forced "comfort women" in Taiwan during its colonial rule over the island. "Now, they still dare to meddle in the Taiwan Strait-related issue? This is not 'concern' — it is blatant historical arrogance and political interference!"

Chinese netizens have also widely voiced their refutation against Takaichi's remarks.

"Can Sanae Takaichi really bear the consequences of such a 'case' that goes against the interests of the entire Chinese people?!" said a user on news platform thepaper.cn.

"No one can stop our reunification! Anyone who dares to interfere in Taiwan Strait affairs will pay a heavy price," said a netizen on another platform sina.com.

On Friday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on its consular affairs account on WeChat to advise Chinese citizens against traveling to Japan in the near future.

The post cited the Japanese leader's provocative comments, which it said "severely worsened the atmosphere of people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan, and posed a significant risk to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan."

The call came against the backdrop of a series of stern official responses to Takaichi's erroneous remarks.

Earlier this week, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian urged Japan to immediately correct its wrongdoing and retract unjustified remarks related to China's Taiwan. Otherwise, all the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the Japanese side, he said.

A day later, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned the Japanese ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi, following instructions from superiors, and made serious démarches over Takaichi's erroneous remarks, calling them extremely wrong and dangerous.

Sun urged Japan to deeply reflect on its historical crimes and responsibilities, immediately reflect and correct its mistakes, withdraw its bad remarks, and not go further down the wrong path.

Chen Binhua, a spokesman for China's State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, addressed the issue by referring to Japan's brutal colonial rule on the island for half a century. He said that Japan had committed crimes against the Chinese people regarding the Taiwan question, and that Takaichi's unjustified remarks reflect attempts to interfere in cross-Strait affairs, which the Chinese government and Chinese people will never accept, tolerate, or condone.