China Prepares Substantial Countermeasures Against Japan Over Taiwan Remarks

Beijing, China: In the corridors of power in Beijing, senior officials work late into the night drafting responses to what they describe as the most serious diplomatic provocation from Japan since the Second World War. The atmosphere is tense, with Chinese citizens receiving official warnings to avoid travel to Japan as relations between the two Asian powers deteriorate rapidly.

This diplomatic crisis stems from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent assertion that "a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency," suggesting Tokyo might exercise its so-called collective self-defense right regarding Taiwan. The remarks have triggered the most serious diplomatic confrontation between China and Japan in decades, occurring against the backdrop of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

China has responded with unprecedented diplomatic measures. On Friday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japanese Ambassador Kenji Kanasugi "upon instructions" - a phrase Chinese state media noted has "never before appeared in China-Japan interactions." The same day, China's Ministry of National Defense issued a stern warning that Japan would "suffer a crushing defeat against the steel-willed PLA and pay a heavy price" if it interfered in Taiwan.

Xiang Haoyu, a Japanese affairs expert at the China Institute of International Studies, explained the significance: "'Upon instructions' means the Vice Foreign Minister was not merely speaking as a deputy, but directly conveying the stance of a higher authority. In other words, this is China's national will, backed by 1.4 billion Chinese people."

The economic implications are substantial. China is Japan's largest trading partner, with many Japanese products "highly dependent" on imports from China. Both China's Foreign Ministry and Embassy in Japan have issued warnings advising Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, indicating the situation has been recognized by the government as posing "a substantial threat."

Ding Nuozhou, a Japanese affairs expert at Nankai University's Institute of Japan Studies, noted that "multiple agencies issuing coordinated statements is itself a stance," confirming China has classified Takaichi's remarks as "a major principled issue touching national dignity and core interests."

The crisis extends beyond bilateral relations. Lü Yaodong, Deputy Director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized that as a defeated nation in World War II, "Japan's national conduct is explicitly constrained by the UN Charter and Article 9 of its domestic pacifist Constitution." China has characterized Takaichi's remarks as "gravely violating international law and basic norms of international relations and seriously undermining the post-war international order."

Analysts suggest China may suspend government-level exchanges with Japan in areas such as economy, diplomacy, and military. About 80% of items on China's Foreign Ministry existing counter-sanctions list involve the Taiwan question, including actions against certain Japanese politicians.

Looking ahead, experts warn that unless Japan retracts the remarks and demonstrates contrition, the relationship could deteriorate further. The situation represents not just a bilateral dispute but a challenge to the fundamental principles of the post-World War II international order in East Asia, with implications extending far beyond the immediate diplomatic crisis.

China | Politics, International Relations, Asia | |