China has warned Japan it will face “stern and resolute” countermeasures unless Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi withdraws remarks suggesting that a Chinese attack or blockade of Taiwan could threaten Japan’s survival and justify a military response.
Beijing says the statement has “fundamentally damaged” relations.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Tokyo must correct its “wrong remarks” or accept responsibility for the consequences.
Takaichi, less than a month into the job, told a parliamentary committee on 7 November that a Chinese naval blockade or similar action around Taiwan “could by all means become a survival-threatening situation”.
Her comments went beyond those of previous prime ministers, who have typically avoided outlining how Japan might respond to a Taiwan crisis, so as to avoid provoking Beijing.
Takaichi has refused to retract the remarks, but later said she would steer clear of discussing specific scenarios.
Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a domestic matter and a “red line”, has already advised Chinese citizens to avoid travel to Japan.
Tokyo has dispatched senior foreign ministry official Masaaki Kanai to Beijing in an effort to limit the fallout.
The dispute risks spilling into economic retaliation that could affect Japanese firms heavily exposed to China. Tourism groups and consumer brands, including Toyota and Shiseido, could come under pressure, with the 2017 China–South Korea row over a US missile defence system cited as an unsettling precedent.
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