Photo/Illutration Foreign dignitaries after offering flowers at the altar during the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Sept. 27 (Pool)

BEIJING—The Chinese government blasted Japan on Sept. 27 for allowing Taiwanese delegates to pay a floral tribute separately from Chinese representatives during the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular news conference. “The one-China principle is a widely accepted norm governing international relations and a prevailing consensus of the international community.”

He said Tokyo needs to handle matters “in strict accordance” with the principle and “refrain from providing any platform or opportunity for ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces to engage in political manipulation.”

China sent Wan Gang, vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body, and other officials to Abe’s funeral on Sept. 27.

The Taiwanese delegation included Su Jia-chyuan, head of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, which serves as a liaison with Japan, and Wang Jin-pyng, a former legislative speaker.

The Chinese and Taiwanese delegations were seated away from each other at the funeral. Their turns to offer flowers to the altar were also separate, an arrangement made by the Japanese government apparently in light of their tense relations.

The Taiwanese delegates paid their floral tribute after representatives of all countries finished doing so.

When the Taiwanese delegates’ turn came, the announcement at the venue called “Taiwan.”

After that, international organizations took their turns to offer flowers.

Abe was known as a pro-Taiwan politician who had close ties with former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui.

Last year, when China banned imports of Taiwanese pineapples, Abe spread the news on social media. He also helped to secure vaccines for Taiwan after the novel coronavirus pandemic struck.

Following Abe’s assassination in July, the Taiwanese government and private sector joined forces in mourning his death.

A statue of Abe was unveiled this month in southern city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

(This article was written by Takashi Funakoshi in Beijing and Shino Matsuyama in Tokyo.)

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