TOKYO, Dec. 2 — Leaders from several Japanese opposition parties have sharply criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her recent erroneous remarks on Taiwan, urging her to withdraw the remarks to prevent further damage to Japan-China relations.
Speaking on a TV program aired by public broadcaster NHK on Sunday, Satoshi Honjo, policy chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said Takaichi’s Diet statements revealed an inadequate understanding of what constitutes a “survival-threatening situation” under Japanese law.
He argued that her remarks diverged significantly from relevant legislation, from how the Taiwan question is situated in Japan-China relations, and from the consistent positions expressed by successive Japanese governments since the normalization of diplomatic ties with China in 1972.
Taku Yamazoe, policy chief of the Japanese Communist Party, warned on the same program that Takaichi’s comments could bring “serious consequences” for Japan and run counter to the Japanese Constitution, calling them “extremely dangerous.”
He stressed that Japan, in the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, declared it “fully understands and respects” China’s position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.
Takaichi’s remarks, he said, clearly contradict that stance, as well as the 2008 bilateral joint statement affirming that the two countries “pose no threat to each other.”
To resolve the current diplomatic strain, Yamazoe insisted, the prime minister “must retract her remarks.” Akiko Oishi, co-representative of the Reiwa Shinsengumi, also criticized Takaichi’s comments as “groundless,” urging the Japanese public to “stay calm and not be provoked.” (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
