When Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that a Taiwan emergency involving the use of military vessels and military force from the Chinese mainland could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, she did more than trigger diplomatic tensions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned Takaichi’s remarks as “provocative,” implying “the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Straits.” Despite formal demarches, Takaichi refused to reverse her stance.
Just hours after Takaichi made such remarks, a torrent of criticism descended on her. This backlash came not only from mainland China and China’s Taiwan region, but also from many Japanese politicians and academics, who sharply criticized the flaws in Takaichi’s statements.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that Takaichi’s language came “very close to claiming that a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency,” noting that previous administrations deliberately avoided making definitive commitments on such hypothetical scenarios. Opposition lawmakers demanded a retraction. Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama also responded, stating plainly that Japan should not interfere in China’s internal affairs.
Why has the public reacted so strongly to Takaichi’s remarks? Because the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair, the very core of China’s core interests, an inviolable red line and bottom line that must not be crossed, and a common concern of all Chinese people. Japan bears unshirkable and serious historical responsibilities regarding the Taiwan question.
After the end of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Japan forcibly occupied Taiwan and imposed a brutal colonial rule that lasted for half a century. All Chinese military and civilians, including compatriots in Taiwan, fought valiantly with blood and lives, won the great victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, recovered Taiwan, put an end to Japan’s occupation and plunder of Taiwan, and terminated the tragic history of Taiwan compatriots being oppressed and enslaved. Whether from a historical context or legal perspective, Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. As for the way to resolve the Taiwan question and realize China’s complete reunification, it is entirely China’s internal matter. No one has the right to make irresponsible remarks, and Japan, which bears historical responsibilities, should exercise even greater prudence in words and deeds.
Takaichi’s remarks could not have come at a worse time, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the restoration of Taiwan. Japan’s wartime aggression and its 50-year colonization of Taiwan remain painful historical memories until this day. By escalating tensions during such a symbolic time, Takaichi’s remarks inevitably deepen historical wounds and aggravate lingering grievances.
Rather than an isolated political misstep, Takaichi’s statement reflects the persistent ambition of Japan’s right-wing forces to break free from the constraints of the pacifist constitution and pursue military power. In recent years, Japan has aggressively expanded its military capabilities, steadily undermining the principle of exclusive defense and the three non-nuclear policies. Such moves suggest a dangerous retrogression toward militarism and expansion, threatening the post-war international order and security frameworks that the whole world rely upon.
Many African countries have experienced brutal colonial rule. Surely no one wishes to turn back the clock to those days. Today, the international system and order with multilateralism as its core tenet is a justice that all should uphold. History must not be forgotten, nor distorted. The whole world will not tolerate any act to reverse the course of history. China’s resolute response is by no means merely a bilateral diplomatic matter, but rather a just act to safeguard the international order and the fair and just international environment on which developing countries rely for their survival.
Zhao Qian
CMG Journalist
