File photo from Xinhua

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday responded again on social media platform X to the recent remarks by current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concerning the Taiwan Straits. In the post, Hatoyama recalled the historical context of the Taiwan question, stressing that Japan should not interfere in China's internal affairs, following the position he had already expressed on November 8 in another post.

Takaichi claimed on November 7 that a Taiwan emergency involving the use of military vessels and military force from the Chinese mainland could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and that according to Japanese law, Japan's Self-Defense Forces could exercise the right of collective self-defense if such a situation is recognized as "survival-threatening." 

One day after Sanae Takaichi made such claims, Hatoyama published a post on X, saying her remark was clearly to stoke a crisis to justify military buildup.

"Japan should respect the fact that Taiwan is part of China," he said in the post, noting that the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair, and Japan should not intervene.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at Monday's regular press conference that the Japanese leader blatantly made wrongful remarks on Taiwan at the Diet that imply the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Straits. It constitutes a gross interference in China's internal affairs and violates the one-China principle, the principles set forth in the four political documents between China and Japan, and basic norms in international relations.    

"This is highly inconsistent with the political commitments made by the Japanese government so far and is egregious in terms of both the nature and impact. China deplores and opposes that and has made serious démarches and protests to Japan," Lin said, urging Japan to immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop making provocations and crossing the line, and stop going further down the wrong path.

On Monday night, the Chinese Embassy in Japan also responded. A spokesperson said that Japan's reference to a "survival-threatening situation" and its attempt to associate itself with forces seeking to split China raise the question of whether Japan is attempting to repeat its past mistakes.


Global Times