ISTANBUL

China on Monday rejected “unreasonable” Japanese arguments in a second letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres amid ongoing tensions over Taiwan.

China's permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, wrote to the UN on the issue regarding “provocative remarks” on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

“We have noted that on 24 November, Japan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations sent you a letter making unreasonable arguments, dodging the key issues, while groundlessly accusing China and seeking to shift blame. China firmly opposes this,” Fu said.

His letter came in response to last week’s letter to UN by the Japanese Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki, who said Japan has consistently contributed to the peace and prosperity of the international community since the end of the Second World War.

“Japan’s fundamental defense policy is a posture of passive defense, which is exclusively defense-oriented, contrary to the Chinese side’s claims,” Yamazaki had written, in response to an earlier letter by Fu on Nov. 21, which described Takaichi’s remarks as “provocative.”

But Fu said in Monday’s letter that “Taiwan is Chinese territory, yet Takaichi linked Japan’s ‘survival-threatening situation’ with a ‘Taiwan contingency,’ implying the use of force against China. This clearly goes beyond its claim of ‘passive defense strategy’ that is ‘exclusively defense-oriented.’”

Takaichi on Nov. 7 said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally constitute a “survival-threatening situation,” potentially allowing Japan to “exercise the right of collective self-defense.” Her remarks raised tensions between the two countries.

China sharply criticized the comments, urged tourists not to visit Japan, suspended seafood imports and also postponed a trilateral culture ministers’ meeting with Japan and South Korea.