ISTANBUL
China on Friday urged Japan to confront its colonial rule over Taiwan and withdraw recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Beijing says interfere in its internal affairs.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Japan “imposed colonial rule on the island of Taiwan for half a century, committing countless heinous crimes,” according to remarks reported by the Global Times.
Mao said Takaichi’s statements “sent a serious wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, and endangered peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.”
Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, she noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II and called on Tokyo to “profoundly reflect on its historical crimes, learn from historical lessons, abide by the one-China principle, and act cautiously on the Taiwan question.”
“We urge Japan to withdraw its erroneous remarks, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and honor its commitments to China with concrete actions,” she said.
Beijing’s statement follows Takaichi’s Nov. 7 comments that 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, and hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists reportedly canceled trips to Japan. Tokyo said Beijing also halted Japanese seafood imports and postponed a planned trilateral culture ministers’ meeting with Japan and South Korea, a step Japan criticized.