Japan scrambled yesterday to smooth remarks by the country's top diplomat suggesting Tokyo has departed from its hands-off China policy and hopes Taiwan will be returned to China, like Hong Kong.
Taiwanese criticized the comments by Japan's flamboyant, outspoken Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka as "inappropriate" and said officials would file a protest.
Tanaka rankled relations Tuesday night, saying Japan should promote a peaceful resolution to strained relations between Beijing and Taipei.
But the remarks were interpreted by some as suggesting Japan backed a one-country, two-systems arrangement similar to that running Hong Kong.
"I think Chinese people have the wisdom to take their time concerning political issues. Hong Kong was returned to China and the situation was resolved quietly, and I hope the Taiwan issue will be handled in a similar manner," Tanaka said.
"Japan as a neighboring country and the rest of the world should make efforts so that the issue will be resolved peacefully," Tanaka added.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) yesterday said Taiwan is very different from Hong Kong and that the vast majority of Taiwanese oppose the ``one country, two systems'' model used for the former British colony.
Chang said Taiwan is a sovereign, democratic nation that must be treated differently than Hong Kong.
Trying to mitigate the situation, Taku Yamasaki, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, slammed Tanaka's comments as overstepping Tokyo's policy of not taking sides on differences between Beijing and Taipei.
"As the foreign minister, she should refrain from making statements that may be interpreted as interfering in domestic affairs, which would exceed the government's policy," Yamasaki told the Nihon Keizai financial daily.
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