The Presidential Office yesterday accused Beijing of saber-rattling at Japan for political gain, hours after Chinese maritime authorities said it would conduct live-fire missile drills in the Yellow Sea.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army tomorrow through Thursday would conduct missile tests with live weapons in the center zone of the Yellow Sea, the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration said in a navigational hazard notice yesterday.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a travel advisory on Friday, citing a rising number of criminal cases involving Chinese nationals and safety risks following Japan’s “provocative” statements regarding Taiwan.
Photo: Taipei Times
Those “statements” refer to comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a parliamentary session on Nov. 7 that a “Taiwan contingency” involving a Chinese naval blockade could qualify as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.
Her comments drew a response from Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian (薛劍), who wrote on social media: “If you go sticking that filthy neck where it doesn’t belong, it’s gonna get sliced right off. You ready for that?”
The post was later deleted.
Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said Beijing’s politically motivated bid to generate hybrid threats targeting Japan posed a grave risk to security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan urges China to desist from being the troublemaker or engaging in inappropriate unilateral activities, she said, adding that as a great power, Beijing should behave responsibly.
National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) in a social media post yesterday criticized Beijing, saying China “continues to engage in humiliating rhetoric and military intimidation toward Japan” instead of reflecting on the “insulting” remarks made by Xue.
As a long-time target of China’s threats and coercion, Taiwan condemns the Chinese government’s uncivilized behavior that threatens to destabilize the region, he said.
An official familiar with foreign affairs yesterday said Beijing has adopted verbal violence, economic pressure and the threat of force as part of its routine strategy for dealing with other nations.
Japan is not the only victim of China’s hybrid threat, they said.
The change in Tokyo’s national security strategy did not begin with Takaichi, it has evolved gradually in response to changes in the regional situation, the official said.
Takaichi’s comments do not go against Japan’s strategic position, nor do they contradict the international community’s understanding of Tokyo’s security policy, they said.
China has reacted excessively and irrationally, the official said, adding that Beijing’s response not only failed help the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, but could also lead to regional misjudgments and increase unnecessary tensions.
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