China lodged a formal protest with Japan after an invasion of the Chinese embassy on Tuesday morning (24).
A man who identified himself as an active officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces scaled the wall and forcibly entered the embassy, ministry spokesman Lin Jian said during a news conference.
“The individual admitted that his actions were illegal and threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic officials in the name of God,” Lin said.
China said it was deeply shocked by the incident and called on Tokyo to conduct a thorough investigation, punish those responsible and provide explanations.
“Japan must ensure the security of facilities and personnel at Chinese embassies and consulates, review its policies towards China and take measures to prevent such incidents from recurring,” the spokesperson added.
The Japanese Defense Ministry said in an email message that it was aware of reports about the case, but declined to comment.
Relations between the Asian neighbors have deteriorated since Japan’s prime minister suggested in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan, a democratically governed island claimed by China, could lead to a .
Japan plans to downgrade its relations with China, describing the relationship as “strategic” and “mutually beneficial”, according to a draft reviewed by Reuters, which cites a series of clashes with Beijing over the past year.
Asked about the decision, Lin reiterated his request for Takaichi to withdraw his statements.
