Takaichi on November 7 suggested that Japan could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, the first time a sitting Japanese prime minister had made such remarks.
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Why have Takaichi’s Taiwan comments sent China-Japan ties into a tailspin?
Why have Takaichi’s Taiwan comments sent China-Japan ties into a tailspin?
On Friday, Fu sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, describing Takaichi’s remarks as “gravely erroneous” and having a “profoundly malicious nature and impact”. It was “the first time Japan has issued a threat of force against China, openly challenging China’s core interests”, he wrote.
According to diplomatic observers, Beijing has increasingly viewed the UN – as compared to other multilateral forums – as a platform to “anchor” its position on Taiwan, particularly because it offered a wider reach, including to countries across the Global South.
But China is severely constrained in its options to compel Japan to walk back the remarks, according to one analyst.
