China and Japan in escalating spat over Taiwan: What to know

China has urged its citizens not to travel to Japan and summoned the country’s ambassador to Beijing over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan.

China and Japan have been locked in an escalating war of words this week, starting with Takaichi’s suggestion that Japan could respond with its own self-defense force if China attacked Taiwan.

The foreign ministries of both countries lodged serious protests against each other. A Chinese diplomat also made a comment that some interpreted as a threat to behead Takaichi.

The debate touches on the historical hostility between China and Japan, as well as long-standing “strategic uncertainty” over self-governing Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Here’s what else you need to know about it:

Current tensions were sparked at a parliamentary meeting in Japan last Friday when an opposition lawmaker asked Takaichi what conditions surrounding Taiwan would count as a survival-threatening situation for Japan.

“If there are battleships and the use of force, it could pose a survival-threatening situation, no matter what you think about it,” Takaichi replied.

“Survival-threatening situation” is a legal term under Japan’s 2015 security law, meaning that an armed attack against its allies poses an existential threat to Japan. In such a situation, Japan’s self-defense forces could be activated to respond to the threat.

Takaichi’s remarks immediately drew Beijing’s ire, with China’s foreign ministry calling them “appalling”.

Last Saturday, Xue Jian, China’s consul general in Osaka, Japan, reposted a news story about Takaichi’s parliamentary statements on X. But he also added his own comment that “the dirty head that got itself in should be cut off.”

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Minoru Kihara, told reporters on Monday that although the intent of Xue’s remarks was “not clear”, it was “highly inappropriate”.

While Tokyo protested to China over Xue’s words, Beijing protested to Japan over Takaichi’s words.

Xue’s post has since been removed – but the dust from the thorny exchanges has yet to settle.

On Tuesday, Takaichi refused to retract his remarks, which he argued were “consistent with the government’s traditional position.” However, he also stated that he would be careful when commenting on specific scenarios from now on.

Later on Thursday, China’s foreign ministry warned Japan in Japanese and English on account X to “stop playing with fire”, adding that it would be an “act of aggression” if Japan “dares to interfere in the cross-Strait situation”.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong also summoned Japan’s ambassador to China the same day to express his dissatisfaction.

According to state media Xinhua, Sun called Takaichi’s remarks “extremely wrong and dangerous” and demanded that Japan retract the comments. He also warned that “otherwise all consequences must be borne by Japan.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters on Friday that Japan’s ambassador had declared that their stance on Taiwan “has not changed” and denied Beijing’s remarks.

“It is the Japanese government’s consistent position that we hope to peacefully resolve the issues surrounding Taiwan through dialogue,” he said at his daily news briefing.

Kihara also added that Japan “strongly urges China to take appropriate measures” over Xue’s social media comment.

Then on Friday night, the Chinese embassy in Japan issued a statement urging citizens to “avoid traveling to Japan in the near future” over what it described as “blatant provocative remarks regarding Taiwan.”

The two countries have a long-standing feud dating back to a series of armed conflicts in the 1800s and Japan’s brutal military campaign against China during World War II.

A statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday referred to this and said, “If Japan fails to learn from history and dares to take reckless risks, even resorting to military intervention in the situation in the Taiwan Strait, it will inevitably suffer heavy losses and pay a bitter price in the face of the iron wall of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.”

Since then, historical grievances have remained sensitive points in bilateral relations. But the recent rise of Takaichi, under the tutelage of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, It suggests there could be more tension ahead.

The conservative leader’s push for closer ties with the United States and his promise to increase Japan’s defense spending have caused alarm in Beijing.

Takaichi is also hawkish on China and has been a long-time supporter of Taiwan.

He has previously said that a blockade of the island could threaten Japan and that Japan could mobilize its troops to stop a Chinese invasion.

China is particularly sensitive about Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as part of its territory. China has not ruled out the use of force to seize Taiwan; This situation disturbed Taipei and its allies in the region.

Earlier this month, Beijing accused Takaichi of violating the one-China principle after he published photos of him meeting a senior Taiwanese official on the sidelines of the Apec summit in South Korea.

The Japanese prime minister’s latest comments mark a departure from the dubious stance the country has traditionally taken on Taiwan’s status.

This is in line with the United States’ long-held policy of “strategic ambiguity”: remaining uncertain about what it would do to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.

For decades, this uncertainty has kept China guessing as a form of deterrence while leaving room for economic ties to flourish.

The Japanese government’s official stance is that it hopes the Taiwan issue can be resolved peacefully through dialogue, and Japanese officials generally avoid mentioning Taiwan in public discussions about security.

In some cases, they faced harsh rebukes from Beijing.

In 2021, when then-deputy prime minister Taro Aso said Japan should defend Taiwan alongside the United States in the event of an invasion, Beijing condemned his remarks and told Japan to “correct its mistakes.”

In this more recent flare-up, China’s foreign ministry said Takaichi’s remarks amounted to “a major interference in China’s internal affairs.”

“Taiwan is China’s Taiwan,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a news conference on Monday, adding that China “will not tolerate any foreign interference” in the matter.

“What signal is the Japanese leader trying to send to separatist forces advocating ‘Taiwan independence’?” he added. “Is Japan ready to challenge China’s core interests and stop reunification?”