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New Delhi: The Japanese government lodged a strong protest with China on Monday after a Chinese diplomat issued a violent threat directed at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in response to her remarks concerning Japan's potential involvement in a Taiwan emergency. The incident has escalated diplomatic tensions between the two East Asian powers.
The inflammatory message originated from Xue Jian, the Chinese Consul General in Osaka, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. Citing a news article about Takaichi's statements in parliament, Xue Jian wrote, "Are you ready for that? I will cut off a dirty neck without a moment of hesitation."
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minoru Kihara, condemned the diplomat's post during a press conference on Monday. "We must say that the post is extremely inappropriate for a Chinese diplomatic mission head," Kihara stated. While acknowledging that the diplomat's precise intent remained unclear, he confirmed that the Japanese Foreign Ministry and the Japanese Embassy in China had officially protested the message and demanded its immediate deletion. Kihara indicated that some action had already been taken regarding the post by Sunday night.
The diplomatic row was triggered by remarks made by Prime Minister Takaichi in a parliamentary committee on Friday. She stated that a Chinese military assault on Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, suggesting that Japan might exercise its right to collective self-defence in such an event.
China, which has been governed separately from Taiwan since their split after the civil war in 1949, views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing consistently characterises the Taiwan issue as an internal affair that does not permit foreign interference. The threatening language used by the Chinese Consul General underscores the deep-seated sensitivities and geopolitical complexities surrounding the Taiwan Strait.
