ISTANBUL

China’s decision to cancel a trilateral culture ministers’ meeting with Japan and South Korea is "withering bilateral people-to-people exchanges," Tokyo said Friday, as tensions escalate following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan, Kyodo news agency reported.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a news conference that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning's remarks a day earlier on the decision were "conflicting" with the shared goal of Tokyo and Beijing to build constructive and stable ties.

Mao said Thursday that Takaichi’s "extremely erroneous remarks" had "disrupted the foundation and atmosphere of trilateral cooperation" among China, Japan and South Korea and that "as a result, the conditions are not yet ready for holding the relevant meeting."

South Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry said Thursday that it had been informed by China two days earlier that the meeting, scheduled for this month in Macau, had been shelved.

Kihara said there was no related official announcement and declined to comment about the postponement.

Diplomatic tensions between Japan and China rose after Takaichi said on Nov. 7 that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation," thus allowing Japan to "exercise its right to collective self-defense."

Beijing slammed the statement and urged Tokyo to retract it.

China has since taken several steps against Japan, including issuing travel and study advisories warning its citizens against visiting the country.

Kihara earlier also stressed that Tokyo continues to uphold a 1972 joint communiqué, under which Japan recognized China and stated it "fully understands and respects" Beijing’s position that Taiwan is an "inalienable part" of its territory.