Tokyo still ‘dodging the issue’ a year on from Takaichi row, Beijing says

Beijing has said responsibility for the “serious difficulties in China-Japan relations lay entirely with Tokyo” one year on from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s controversial comments about Taiwan.

Takaichi is planning to visit China this month for the Apec summit, but on Friday foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun accused the Japanese authorities of continuing to evade the issue and showing no willingness to correct her remarks.

“A year ago, the Japanese leader made erroneous remarks on Taiwan, blatantly sending a wrong signal of attempting to militarily intervene in the Taiwan question, challenging China’s national sovereignty and shaking the political foundation of China-Japan relations,” Guo said.

“Regrettably, one year has passed, but the Japanese authorities are still going round in circles, evading and dodging the issue, without showing any sincerity or taking concrete action to reflect on and correct their mistakes,” Guo said.

Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.

Japan, in common with most countries, does not recognise the island as an independent state.

Guo said Japan’s immediate priority should be to correct its “erroneous words and actions” on Taiwan.

He added that it was important for Tokyo to adopt the right attitude towards history and develop an objective and rational understanding of China.

Takaichi said last month she planned to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen in southern China, if parliamentary commitments allowed, providing a possible opportunity for engagement between the two sides.

China has repeatedly urged Japan to reflect on its wartime history, with relations coming under particular strain in the past 12 months.

Takaichi has refused to retract her comments.

On Friday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo’s position on Taiwan remained unchanged and was consistent with the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique, which established formal diplomatic ties between Beijing and Tokyo.

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The document says that Tokyo “understands and respects” Beijing’s position on Taiwan.

Describing China as an important neighbouring country, Kihara said Japan would continue communicating with Beijing on shared issues and work towards building a constructive and stable relationship.

Despite the prolonged diplomatic chill, senior-level contacts between the two countries have continued.

The highest level exchange since Takaichi made her comments took place in late September, when China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met former Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya in Beijing along with a delegation of around 50 business chiefs.

Wang told Iwaya that it was a “severe situation” and relations had “yet to be normalised” ahead of next year’s 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

He also urged Japan to learn lessons from history, according to the Chinese foreign ministry, alluding to its wartime record by saying: “A country that challenges its post-war ‘peace constitution’ or attempts to rewrite the history of wartime aggression … cannot face the world, let alone open up a future.”