China and Japan recalled their ambassadors after a comment by Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi about the island of Taiwan caused a diplomatic crisis between the countries.
Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose a “survival-threatening situation” and trigger one.
In response, China’s Defense Ministry said it would suffer a “crushing defeat” at the hands of the Chinese military if it tried to use force to intervene in Taiwan.
Last Saturday, China’s consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, shared a report on Taiwan’s remarks on X and commented that “the dirty neck that intrudes must be cut” in a now-deleted post.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry retaliated by summoning the Chinese ambassador for what it called “extremely inappropriate” statements made by Xue.
Some high-ranking Japanese political figures have called for Xue’s expulsion, but Tokyo has so far only asked Beijing to “take appropriate measures” without going into detail.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said Takaichi’s statements were extremely irresponsible e dangerous.
“If the Japanese side does not learn from history and dare to take risks, or even use force to interfere in the Taiwan issue, it will only suffer a crushing defeat against the People’s Liberation Army, whose resolve is steely, and will pay a heavy price,” Jiang said in a statement.
On Thursday (13), the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Japanese ambassador to the country to present a “strong protest” over Takaichi’s statements.
It was the first time in more than two years that Beijing had summoned a Japanese ambassador.
The last time this happened was in August 2023, after Japan released wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also on Friday expressed “serious concerns” about Japan’s recent military and security moves, including its ambiguity over its non-nuclear principles.
Japan’s decision not to rule out acquiring nuclear submarines indicates a major “negative” change in policy, ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a news conference.
