Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently told the National Diet (Japanese Parliament) that if China attacks Taiwan, it would create an “existential crisis” for Japan, which would entail the mobilization of the country’s Self-Defense Forces and possible intervention by Tokyo in the conflict.

The Foreign Ministry stated that the Japanese leader’s words are a blatant provocation and violate the One China principle, the Four Joint Political Documents, and the basic norms of international relations, demanding that she immediately retract these comments.

It also pointed out that the historical use of the term “existential crisis” by Japanese militarism served to justify past invasions of China.

For its part, the Chinese Ministry of Defense stressed that these statements about Taiwan constituted serious interference in the country’s domestic affairs.

Furthermore, it emphasized that the remarks sent the wrong signal to forces promoting Taiwan’s independence.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and other institutions issued travel advisories for Japan and recommended that their citizens avoid traveling to or studying in the neighboring country in the short term.

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