Screenshot from online video report of Katsuya Okada, a member of Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan

Katsuya Okada, a member of Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said on an NHK program on Sunday that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Diet remarks regarding a "Taiwan contingency" depart from the government's longstanding position. He said "The public will not be convinced unless a commitment of 'never to utter such remarks again' is made," and called for additional follow-up actions from the government.

On November 7, during a House of Representatives Budget Committee session, when responding to Okada's question, Takaichi linked a "Taiwan contingency" to a "survival-threatening situation" of Japan, and raised the possibility of military intervention.

On the Sunday program, Okada also criticize the explanations offered by the prime minister and the Liberal Democratic Party, saying that the remarks clearly pointed in a particular direction and therefore depart from the government's previous position. Simply asserting that the remarks do not change the established government stance, he said, does not amount to an adequate explanation to the public, according to a report from Japanese media reports. 

Okada said Takaichi should frankly acknowledge that her comments went beyond the government's established position, according to the report.

During the program, Itsunori Onodera, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's Security Research Council, claimed that he did not believe Takaichi's remarks went beyond the Japanese government's traditional thinking. Okada pushed back, asking, "Is saying it is 'highly likely' really part of Japan's established government position?" And when Onodera claimed that it is natural that the likelihood a "survival-threatening situation" would vary depending on the specific circumstances, Okada said that what Onodera said is basically an incorrect interpretation.

Global Times