After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments indicating a Chinese military action on Taiwan could be an existential threat to Japan, it would be quite a way to go for Japan to actually fight back with military forces under collective self defense, the tensions between the two countries shoot up significantly.
China Furious Over Japan PM’s Taiwan Policy, Summons Ambassador, Issues Travel Advisory
Not only that but attaching the diplomat’s seal condemning these statements, Beijing also called Japan’s ambassador in China to tell him to his face that they wanted Tokyo to take back what it termed as upsetting and destabilizing rhetoric. And in an unusual counter move, China even went on to give a public travel warning, telling its nationals that they might not be safe if they go to Japan.
Things got worse from there on when Japan summoned China’s ambassador to complain about an antagonistic post by a Chinese consul general in Osaka. The post contained very aggressive language, threatening to ‘cut off … that dirty neck’ in reference to the Japanese prime minister, which the Tokyo government called ‘highly inappropriate.’ China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong once again emphasized the viewpoint of China that Takaichi’s previous statements regarding Taiwan had gone beyond the limit. Besides the symbolic diplomatic measures, the dispute has effects on the ground, the travel alert issued by China might reduce Japan’s tourists, on the other hand, the keep increasing hard words could mean a large shift in Japan’s stance on Taiwan. The analysts consider it not merely a flare up but a potential sign of a greater change in security conditions in the area, with Beijing using both diplomacy and trade to challenge Japan’s growing assertive stance on Taiwan.
