Japan Urges Caution After PM’s Taiwan Remarks Trigger Chinese Backlash

Japan’s government has called for greater caution in future statements regarding Taiwan after recent remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew sharp criticism from China. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government must avoid creating misunderstandings, noting that Takaichi’s comments on a possible crisis scenario involving Taiwan “could have been interpreted as a case study,” which differs from Japan’s usual approach.
Kihara emphasized that past Diet discussions on collective self-defense have only cited limited and hypothetical examples. Takaichi’s remarks, he said, were notably more specific and therefore risked misinterpretation. The government will now approach such topics with “extreme caution.”
Before departing for the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, Takaichi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship with China. She stressed that Japan would continue to make comprehensive judgments in any survival-threatening situation, basing decisions on real-time circumstances.
China has continued to press Japan for a retraction, while also increasing economic pressure through actions such as restricting Japanese seafood imports. As tensions rise, Japanese officials are reconsidering the possibility of any informal meeting with Chinese leaders at the G20 summit, questioning whether dialogue is appropriate under current conditions.