Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday blamed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's fallacious remarks on Taiwan question for being the root cause of the current state of China-Japanese relations, urging Tokyo to reflect on and correct its mistakes following reports that the latest Diplomatic Bluebook released by the Japanese government on Friday has downgraded the description of the bilateral relations between China and Japan from the previous "one of the most important bilateral relations" to "an important neighboring country."
The root cause of the current state of China-Japanese relations lies in Takaichi's fallacious remarks on Taiwan question, which constitute a breach of faith, undermine the political foundation of bilateral relations, and challenge the post-war international order, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Friday.
Japan should abide by the four political documents between China and Japan and its own commitments, reflect on and correct its mistakes, and take concrete actions to uphold the political foundation of China-Japan relations, Mao said.
The annual report, submitted by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at a Cabinet meeting, refers to China as an "important neighboring country," a step back from "one of the most important bilateral relations" in the 2025 edition, according to a Kyodo News report.
The change apparently reflects the worst diplomatic spat between the two countries in years triggered by Takaichi's parliamentary comments last November that a potential contingency in Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening for Japan and prompt a response from the country's Self-Defense Forces, according to the Kyodo News report.
The Bluebook states that the current international situation marks the end of "the relatively stable era known as the 'post-Cold War period',"according to a report by Nikkei.
China has strongly objected to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks in November 2025 on Taiwan question. The Bluebook analyzed that China "is intensifying unilateral criticism and coercive measures against Japan,"Nikkei reported.
The Bluebook stated that "Japan will resolutely rebut and protest against China's voices that contradict the facts and its coercive measures," the Nikkei report said.
The Bluebook is published annually by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to outline Japan's foreign policy and its understanding of the international situation. This 2026 edition primarily covers events that took place between January and December 2025.
Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that the change in description essentially reveals the Takaichi cabinet's misguided and confrontational mindset toward China. He described the move as short-sighted and opportunistic, aimed at rallying international public opinion to support Tokyo's hardline stance against Beijing.
"The Bluebook attempts to shift all the blame for the deterioration of Japan-China relations onto China," Xiang wrote. "This black-and-white reversal and blame-shifting completely ignores the fact that Japan's own provocative actions are the root cause of the strained relations."
He added that Japan's real intention is to portray itself as the "victim" in order to win sympathy from the international community.
From 2016 to 2025, Japan had continuously described ties with China for 10 years as "one of the most important bilateral relationships," a report by Mainichi Shimbun wrote.
While claiming on one hand that "Japan's dialogue channels with China remain open", media reports showed that the Bluebook continues to include the statement that "peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits are important to the international community."
Japan's release of the latest Diplomatic Bluebook comes against the backdrop of Japan intensifying its military buildup. For example, reports showed that Japan's Minister of Defense recently announced the deployment of long-range missiles with "enemy base strike capabilities", which Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson of China's Defense Ministry, has slammed its push "laying bare its ambition for military expansion" at a press conference on April 9.
In line with its aggressive military buildup policy, and while releasing the 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook at a Cabinet meeting on Friday, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi announced that Japan's basic diplomatic policy will be "strategically evolved in line with the times," the Asahi Shimbun reported.
Xiang further said such a performance by Japan — lacking any self-reflection or sincerity — will only further erode basic mutual trust between China and Japan and narrow the space for dialogue and cooperation.
For the regional situation, Japan's beggar-thy-neighbor diplomatic approach will not only undermine peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, but will ultimately exacerbate Japan's own security predicament and harm its long-term national interests, Xiang added.
