• Sanae Takaichi had said any Chinese military move against Taiwan ‘could allow Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense’
• If Japanese side 'dares to intervene in the Taiwan Straits situation by military means, it would constitute an act of invasion, and will be met with strong fightback from China,' says Chinese Foreign Ministry

ISTANBUL

China on Thursday urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “retract the egregious” remarks on Taiwan, state media reported.

Beijing’s demand came after Takaichi last week said that any Chinese military move against Taiwan, including a naval blockade, could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” allowing Japan to “exercise its right to collective self-defense.”

Later, Takaichi, who was elected Japan’s first female premier last month, “denied her intention” to retract her statement, telling lawmakers she spoke “under the assumption of a worst-case scenario.”

“Such erroneous words and deeds seriously violate the one-China principle, run counter to the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and the basic norms governing international relations, grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, challenge China's core interests, and undermine China's sovereignty,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.

“China firmly opposes and will never tolerate this. Japan must immediately correct its mistake and retract the egregious statement, or it will have to bear all the consequences,” Lin warned, according to Beijing-based Global Times.

Beijing had earlier protested her statement as “wrongful and dangerous remarks" that attempted to separate Taiwan from China and "peddle" military intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

Lin also urged the US to abide by the one-China principle amid tensions with Japan over Taiwan.

“I would like to reiterate that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.

“How the Taiwan question is resolved and national reunification achieved is China's internal affair that brooks no interference by any external forces,” Lin said.

He said if the Japanese side “dares to intervene in the Taiwan Straits situation by military means, it would constitute an act of invasion and will be met with strong fightback from China.”

Separately, the Beijing High Court on Thursday upheld a seven-year prison term for Dong Yuyu, former deputy head of the Chinese Guangming Daily editorial department, "for leaking information to Japanese diplomats," Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Dong, 63, was detained in February 2022 following his meeting with a Japanese embassy official in Beijing. He was indicted in March 2023 for alleged espionage, the report added.