Japan warns its citizens in China about safety as dispute deepens

Japan has warned its citizens in China to step up safety precautions and avoid crowded places amid a deepening dispute between Asia’s two largest economies over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan.

- 

Ms Takaichi sparked the most serious diplomatic clash in years when she told Japanese lawmakers in October that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could trigger a military response.

The Nov 18 advisory came as a senior Japanese envoy arrived in Beijing for a meeting to try and tamp down the tension, although no breakthrough appeared imminent.

China’s Foreign Ministry said it had pressed at the meeting for Ms Takaichi to retract her remarks, but Japan’s top government spokesperson suggested Tokyo was in no mood to do so, as they were in line with its longstanding view.

“Regarding Prime Minister Takaichi’s response... It does not alter the government’s existing position,” Mr Minoru Kihara told a press conference, when asked if Japan planned to retract the comments.

The government hoped that issues concerning Taiwan would be resolved peacefully through dialogue, he added.

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing’s claims and says only its people can decide the island’s future.

A Chinese diplomat in Japan responded to Ms Takaichi’s remarks by posting a threatening comment aimed at her on social media. That drew a strong rebuke from Tokyo, though it failed to stem vitriolic commentary against her in Chinese state media.

Ms Takaichi was summoning Japan’s “militarist demons”, the official news agency Xinhua said in the latest such attack on Nov 18.

Noting the media coverage in China, the Japanese embassy there reminded citizens on Nov 17 to respect local customs and be careful in their interactions with Chinese people.