China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, elaborating on the position of the Chinese Government regarding the erroneous remarks on China made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Fu said Takaichi openly issued blatant provocations on Taiwan during a parliamentary session earlier this month. He stressed that this marked the first time since Japan’s 1945 defeat that a Japanese leader had, in a formal setting, promoted the notion that “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency” and linked it to the exercise of collective self-defense; the first time Japan had openly hinted at armed involvement in the Taiwan question; and the first time it had issued an implied military threat against China – a direct challenge to China’s core interests.
Fu said these remarks are extremely wrong and highly dangerous, with a profoundly harmful impact. Despite China’s multiple stern representations and strong protests, the Japanese side shows no sign of remorse and refuses to retract its erroneous statements. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firmly opposes this, the Chinese envoy said.
Fu emphasized that Takaichi’s statement violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, undermines the post-war order, and constitutes a blatant provocation to the 1.4 billion Chinese people and other Asian nations that suffered from Japan’s wartime aggression.
He reiterated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that how to resolve the Taiwan question is China’s internal affairs. Any Japanese attempt to intervene militarily would amount to aggression, and China would firmly exercise its right of self-defense under the UN Charter and other internal laws to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Fu added.
Fu urged the Japanese government to reflect deeply on its historical responsibilities, honor its political commitments on the Taiwan question, immediately cease provocations and withdraw its erroneous remarks.
The letter will be circulated to all UN member states as an official document of the General Assembly.
