Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on November 7 that use of force against the self-ruled island claimed by China could warrant a military response from Tokyo.
On Friday, Beijing said that it had summoned Japan's ambassador, while Tokyo said it had summoned China's ambassador after an "inappropriate" and now-removed online post.
Tokyo has since said its position on Taiwan, just 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the nearest Japanese island, is unchanged.
In an online post late Friday, China's embassy in Japan warned its citizens against travelling to the country.
"Recently, Japanese leaders have made blatantly provocative remarks regarding Taiwan, severely damaging the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges," the WeChat post said.
The situation presents "significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan", it added.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan solemnly remind Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Japan in the near future."
Reacting to the statement, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Saturday that Beijing's call was "inconsistent with the promotion of a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship", Jiji Press reported.
The Japanese government has requested the Chinese side to take "appropriate measures", Jiji reported.
In a further development Saturday, China's largest airlines offered full refunds for flights on Japan routes before the end of the year.
Air China, China Southern and China Eastern all published separate statements on the policies, which will allow ticket holders to refund or change Japan itineraries free of charge for flights from Saturday through December 31.
Beijing insists Taiwan, which Japan occupied for decades until 1945, is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to seize control.
China and Japan are key trading partners, but historical mistrust and friction over territorial rivalries and military spending often test those ties.
Takaichi, a conservative and China hawk, has toned down her rhetoric since assuming office last month.
But just weeks into her administration, the neighbours are at odds.
Addressing parliament on November 7, Takaichi said that an armed attack on Taiwan could warrant sending troops to the island under "collective self-defence".
If an emergency in Taiwan entails "battleships and the use of force, then that could constitute a situation threatening the survival (of Japan), any way you slice it", she said.
Security legislation passed in 2015 allows Japan to exercise the right to "collective self-defence" under certain conditions including if there was a clear danger to the country's survival.
- Strategic ambiguity -
Despite the escalating diplomatic spat, Takaichi has indicated she has no intention of retracting her statement and insisted it was consistent with Tokyo's long-standing policy.
But she said she would refrain from referring to specific scenarios in the future.
Previous Japanese prime ministers have avoided commenting directly on Taiwan's defence, choosing instead to maintain so-called strategic ambiguity.
The United States has also long been deliberately ambiguous on whether it would deploy its military to defend Taiwan.
The most recent row escalated last weekend when the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, posted about "(cutting) off that dirty neck", apparently referring to Takaichi.
Japan lodged a protest over the since-removed social media post, and Takaichi's ruling party passed a resolution calling for the envoy to be declared persona non grata.
Before taking power, Takaichi, an acolyte of ex-premier Shinzo Abe, was a vocal critic of China and its military build-up in the Asia-Pacific.
Takaichi has visited Taiwan in the past and met Taipei's representative at a recent APEC summit, where she also held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Demarches and decapitation: Japan and China's Taiwan spat
Tokyo (AFP) Nov 14, 2025 -
Japan and China's long-testy relations have worsened in recent days following comments by new premier Sanae Takaichi about a possible attack by Beijing on Taiwan.
With both sides lodging complaints, yet Japan insisting its long-held stance has not changed, AFP examines Takaichi's remarks, their significance and the resulting furore.
What did Takaichi say?
Before taking power last month, Takaichi, an acolyte of ex-premier Shinzo Abe, was a vocal critic of China and its military build-up in the Asia-Pacific.
She has been a regular at a shrine that honours Japan's war dead -- including those of guilty of crimes in World War II -- that is seen by Asian nations as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past.
Japan's first woman prime minister has visited Taiwan in the past and met Taipei's representative at a recent APEC summit. She also held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the same event.
Her comments on November 7 were widely interpreted as implying that an attack on Taiwan, which is just 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the nearest Japanese island, could warrant Tokyo's military support.
If a Taiwan emergency entails "battleships and the use of force, then that could constitute a situation threatening the survival (of Japan), any way you slice it," Takaichi told parliament.
"The so-called Taiwan contingency has become so serious that we have to anticipate the worst-case scenario," said Takaichi.
Japan's self-imposed rules say that it can only act militarily under certain conditions, including an existential threat.
Wang Hung-jen, a political analyst at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, said the comments "sent a very strong message to China: Japan is no longer just standing by and watching".
"The probability of Japan intervening to deter China and prevent any military action by China around the Taiwan Strait has increased significantly," he told AFP.
How did China react?
Beijing insists Taiwan -- which was occupied for decades by Japan until 1945 -- is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to seize control.
In a now-removed post on X, the Chinese consul general in Osaka Xue Jian threatened to "cut off that dirty neck", apparently referring to Takaichi.
Tokyo lodged a protest and Takaichi's ruling party passed a resolution calling for the envoy to be declared persona non grata.
On Wednesday Yuyuan Tantian, a Chinese outlet linked to state broadcaster CCTV, said Takaichi "will likely have to pay the price" for her comments.
Beijing's foreign ministry on Thursday called on Japan to "retract the unjustified remarks", warning otherwise that the "consequences... must be borne by the Japanese side".
A day later, China said it had summoned the Japanese ambassador to make "serious demarches" about the "erroneous remarks".
"If anyone dares to interfere with China's unification cause in any form, China will surely strike back hard," the foreign ministry said.
In response, Japan said that its position on Taiwan was "unchanged" and that it continues to urge "peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait.
Tokyo on Friday also summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest Xue's "extremely inappropriate" threat.
Why does it matter?
Tokyo normalised diplomatic ties with Beijing in 1972 but relations have long been dogged by historical issues. Japan also has a warm relationship with Taipei.
Previous sitting Japanese prime ministers have avoided commenting directly on Taiwan's defence, choosing instead to maintain "strategic ambiguity".
Similarly, the United States has long been deliberately ambiguous on whether it would deploy its military to defend Taiwan, although former president Joe Biden repeatedly suggested he would order the US military to intervene if China moved on the island.
Yee Kuang Heng, a professor at the University of Tokyo, told AFP that Takaichi's comments may have been her "own personal inclination" to signal a stronger stance.
But although "clearer communication can enhance deterrence" he said, he also warned that "a delicate balance has to be struck with the flip side of the coin, which is keeping the other side guessing."
Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
