Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

In response to a question about a Japanese official's claim during the G20 summit that the Japanese side had repeatedly explained to the Chinese side the gist of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks and the consistent position of Japan while China sent a letter to UN chief expressing position on Japanese PM's erroneous remarks, Chinese FM spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday: "We have noted that Japan recently referred to its 'consistent position' on the Taiwan question. But what exactly is Japan's 'consistent position'? Can Japan make a full and public statement of this 'consistent position'? If Japan only repeats the notion that 'the position remains unchanged' without giving specifics, and at the same time makes constant moves to cross the line, then such a statement is nothing but empty talk and will hollow out its position on the one-China principle."

Mao said that the one-China principle is an unshakable universal consensus in the international community. If the Japanese government's position on the Taiwan question has truly not changed, it should clearly uphold the one-China principle and abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and the commitments made so far, including the specific content in the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, which states that "the Government of Japan recognizes that Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China" and "the Government of the People's Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The Government of Japan fully understands and respects this stand of the Government of the People's Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation." 

"Why is Japan unable to reiterate the above position fully and accurately? China urges Japan to take China's solemn demands seriously, reflect on and correct its mistakes, and demonstrate its commitments to China through concrete actions. Japan should not remain obstinate, nor should it say one thing and do another," Mao noted.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday, elaborating on the Chinese government's position regarding Takaichi's erroneous remarks on China.

Fu stressed that Takaichi's remarks constitute a grave violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, seriously undermine the post-war international order, and represent an open provocation to the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people and to the peoples of other Asian countries that once suffered from Japanese aggression.

Taiwan is China's sacred territory, and how to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people and brooks no foreign interference, the Chinese envoy said.

Global Times