A Half Year of Diplomatic Standoff with China

Six months have passed since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi commented in the Diet last November that a contingency in Taiwan could consist of Japan’s survival threatening situation in which it could lawfully use its force. Bilateral relations between Japan and China have been deteriorated, compared to the situation in the time of a couple of her predecessors. Takaichi has shown no serious effort to rebuild normality in the relations with China. 

Answering to a question of opposition lawmaker, former foreign minister Katsuya Okada, at the Committee on Budget in the Lowr House in November 7th 2025, Takaichi argued that it would be a survival threatening situation around Taiwan, if the case would be accompanied with use of force by a battle ship. Previous prime ministers had not made clear how Japan would react in a contingency around Taiwan.

 

China immediately responded to the explicit comment of new Japanese prime minister who was recognized as a hardliner against China with right-wing ideology. Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, posted on X that “the dirty neck should be cut off without any hesitation.” Anti-China lawmakers in Japan became furious about Xue’s comment, but he still stays at his position without receiving declaration of persona non grata from Japanese government.

 

China took steps to protest Takaichi’s comment. It recommended Chinese citizens and students not to travel to Japan, effectively resumed banning import of Japanese seafoods and embargoed dual-use products including rare earths. Takaichi responded to those measures of Beijing by reiterating that Japan would still be wide open to China, only referring to her comment that she would never say such a thing again, without any correction of her comment.

 

China’s response that made Takaichi most anxious was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s telephone talk with U.S. President Donald Trump. Xi insisted the importance of returning Taiwan to China and Trump showed his recognition of it. Both leaders agreed on making visits each other in 2026. Realizing that her comment worked for making relationship between Xi and Trump closer, Takaichi decided to visit Washington in March 2026, before Trump would visit Beijing, which was once scheduled in April.

 

China has not eased its hard stance against Takaichi administration. “The root cause of the serious difficulties in bilateral relations lies in Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi’s erroneous remarks on Taiwan,” said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Lin Jian, in his regular press conference on May 7th. Not only official exchange by both governments has not resumed, lawmaker’s diplomacy does not work at all.

 

It was reported in Japan that districts for foreign tourists’ sightseeing saw less Chinese travelers this year. Officials of Takaichi government had to visit foreign countries in the Golden Week to look for opportunities to secure rare earths, which cannot be expected to come from China. Takaichi’s best hope is to go through this diplomatic gridlock with China without admitting irrelevancy of her comment on Taiwan.

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