The Japanese government has put the brakes on an international public opinion campaign led by China. After China went on the offensive at the United Nations (UN) over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about "intervening in the event of a contingency in Taiwan," Japan responded in kind, issuing a detailed rebuttal that China's claims distorted the facts.
On the 24th (local time), Japan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said on its website that Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki had sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The move responds to China's complaint letter to the UN over Takaichi's remarks. In the letter, Yamazaki said, "China's claims are contrary to the facts and lack basis," and noted, "In accordance with instructions from Tokyo, we are submitting a rebuttal."
The trigger for the dispute was Takaichi's "Taiwan remarks." Takaichi recently suggested the possibility of Japan's involvement in the event of a contingency in the Taiwan Strait. China immediately pushed back. In a letter to Secretary-General Guterres on the 21st, China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong said, "Japan has revealed its ambition to intervene militarily in the Taiwan issue," criticizing it as "an open challenge to China's core interests and a show of military intimidation." Fu also warned, "If Japan attempts a military intervention, we will regard it as an act of aggression and exercise the right of self-defense."
Japan judged China's assertions to be an effort to "impose a frame." In a rebuttal letter, Yamazaki stressed, "Japan's basic defense policy is an exclusively defense-oriented policy." The exclusively defense-oriented policy is Japan's passive defense strategy of exercising defense capabilities only after being attacked with force. "Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks are also based on this consistent position," Yamazaki said, pointing out, "China's claim that Japan would exercise the right of self-defense without an armed attack is clearly wrong."
Japan, in turn, took issue with China's military moves. "Some countries continue opaque military buildups and seek unilateral changes to the status quo through force and coercion despite opposition from neighboring countries," Yamazaki said. He did not name names, but the remarks were effectively aimed at China.
The rift between the two countries has spread to the economic and social spheres. China recently issued advisories to refrain from travel and study in Japan and halted imports of Japanese seafood, among other retaliatory steps. "China is constricting people-to-people and economic exchanges and seafood trade unrelated to the matter," Yamazaki said, appealing, "The international community should oppose such coercive measures."
The Japanese government said it will continue to actively counter China's public opinion campaign. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Gihara said at a news conference in Tokyo that day, "China's claims that run counter to the facts are unacceptable," adding, "The Japanese government will present firm rebuttals."
Diplomatic circles see it as a signal that Japan will no longer yield to China's public opinion warfare. China has long waged aggressive propaganda campaigns at international organizations such as the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to push its positions through. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said, "As China shows signs of prolonging the conflict, we plan to immediately rebut any claims we judge to be untrue to prevent misunderstanding in the international community."
Japan added that it will keep dialogue channels open. "Japan believes we should reduce pending issues and challenges and promote understanding and cooperation," Yamazaki said. "We will respond calmly through dialogue." However, with the two countries' views on Taiwan so far apart, diplomatic sparring at the UN is expected to continue for the time being.