ANKARA
Japan has rejected China’s accusations in a letter sent to the UN chief, saying Beijing mischaracterized Tokyo’s defense policy and made claims “inconsistent with the facts,” according to Japan’s envoy to the world body.
In a letter submitted Monday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki said Japan has consistently contributed to the peace and prosperity of the international community since the end of the Second World War.
“Japan has always respected and adhered to international law, including the UN Charter, and has actively contributed to maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order underpinned by the rule of law in the global community,” Yamazaki wrote.
He said Japan’s defense posture remains strictly defensive and passive.
“Japan’s fundamental defense policy is a posture of passive defense, which is exclusively defense-oriented, contrary to the Chinese side’s claims. Japan also defines, through domestic law, situations in which the right of collective self-defense recognized under the UN Charter can be exercised in a highly restrictive manner,” he said.
Yamazaki added that recent remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reflect this long-standing approach, calling China’s suggestion that Japan would exercise self-defense without an armed attack “erroneous.”
Japan also criticized Beijing for freezing bilateral exchanges and imposing economic pressure, including restrictions on Japanese seafood imports, calling such coercive steps unacceptable. Tokyo said it will continue pursuing “calm diplomacy” to address outstanding issues with China.
China’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Fu Cong, had written to Guterres on Friday, describing Takaichi’s latest statements on Taiwan as “provocative.” He argued that Japan had, for the first time, signaled intent to intervene militarily in the Taiwan issue and issued what he called a “threat of force” toward China.
Takaichi, who took office last month, said any Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan under its security legislation, potentially allowing the country to “exercise the right of collective self-defense.”
Her remarks drew sharp criticism from Beijing and were followed by reports that hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists canceled trips to Japan. Tokyo said Beijing also imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports.
Beijing later postponed a trilateral meeting of culture ministers with South Korea and Japan, a decision that Tokyo publicly criticized.