China has called on Japan to withdraw what it described as “wrongful remarks” and to stop creating friction in bilateral relations, following high-level consultations between senior foreign ministry officials from both countries on Tuesday.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs, met with Kanai Masaaki, his counterpart from Japan’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, in Beijing. The meeting was part of ongoing diplomatic consultations between the two neighbours, but it came at a time of heightened sensitivity in the region.
Beijing had expressed strong dissatisfaction over recent public comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which China considers provocative and interfering in its internal affairs.
The tensions were sparked by Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan, in which she expressed concern over the island’s security environment and suggested Japan would closely monitor developments in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, condemned the remarks as unacceptable and warned Tokyo against sending “wrong signals” to separatist forces.
The fallout has already extended beyond diplomatic channels. Both countries issued safety reminders to their nationals traveling or residing in each other’s territory, urging heightened vigilance amid the surge in online rhetoric and public reactions.
