Tokyo has lodged a protest with China over remarks by Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) that “far-right forces” in Japan were seeking to revive militarism, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said yesterday.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Wang weighed in on Beijing’s current relationship with Tokyo, which has been under heavy strain since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Taiwan in November last year.
“Japanese people should no longer allow themselves to be manipulated or deceived by those far-right forces, or by those who seek to revive militarism,” Wang said, referring to World War II. “All peace-loving countries should send a clear warning to Japan: If it chooses to walk back on this path, it will only be heading toward self-destruction.”
Photo: AFP
After Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi on Saturday said that Wang’s comment “was not based on facts,” his ministry followed up with a social media post on Sunday reinforcing his view.
“Japan’s efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities are in response to an increasingly severe security environment and are not directed against any specific third country,” the ministry said.
It said there were “countries in the international community that have been rapidly increasing their military capabilities in a nontransparent manner,” but that “Japan opposes such moves and distances itself from them.”
Motegi lodged a stern demarche against the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, the statement said.
“Postwar Japan’s consistent contribution to the peace and stability of the international community has been widely recognized by global society,” Kihara added yesterday.
Just weeks into her term, Takaichi said that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could be considered an “existential threat,” a characterization that could give Japan legal justification for a military response.
Wang’s remarks were an indication that Beijing has no intention of trying to de-escalate tensions after the Japanese prime minister shored up her leadership with a historic election win earlier this month.
In his response to Wang’s comments, Motegi denied that Japan had any militaristic intentions.
“Japan consistently after World War II has trod the path of a peace-loving nation. Going forward, Japan will contribute to the stability and peace of the international society,” Motegi said through a translator during a panel discussion at the conference.
Japan’s foreign ministry post also reiterated Japan’s position that the issue of Taiwan should not be resolved by force.
“We expect that the issue surrounding Taiwan will be resolved peacefully through dialogue, and this stance remains unchanged,” it said.
China has introduced some curbs on exports to Japan and warned its citizens against traveling to its neighbor as part of its campaign to put pressure on Takaichi to retract her Taiwan remarks.
Still, its muted response to the Japanese Fisheries Agency’s arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain last week generated speculation that Beijing might be recalibrating its approach to Tokyo following Takaichi’s election landslide.
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