THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
November 15, 2025 at 14:03 JST
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Gyeonju, South Korea, on Oct. 31. (Pool)
BEIJING—Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi continued to be buffeted by verbal attacks by the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping a week after suggesting that Japan would provide support for Taiwan in the event of a Chinese naval blockade.
The initial response was somewhat subdued but in recent days the Japanese ambassador was called to the Chinese Foreign Ministry late on Nov. 13 to hear a protest about Takaichi’s remarks, which described a blockade as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan.
Tokyo retaliated by calling the Chinese ambassador to protest a now-deleted post by a consul general in Osaka about cutting off the filthy head of the Japanese leader.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement early on Nov. 14 that any attempt to interfere with Beijing’s goal of unifying Taiwan would be met by a strong military response.
The ministry and Chinese military later posted statements in Japanese to social media that contained similar wording.
The People’s Daily, the organ of the Chinese Communist Party, also strengthened its propaganda attack, calling out Takaichi and saying her provocations would never be accepted.
Late on Nov. 14, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement calling on nationals to refrain from visiting Japan due to the “serious risk” posed to the safety of Chinese lives and bodies because of the provocative comments made by the Japanese prime minister regarding Taiwan.
The ministry also urged Chinese nationals living in Japan to strengthen self-defense measures while being more careful about the local law and order situation.
Lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party as well as opposition parties were, in turn, demanding strong measures against the Chinese consul general in Osaka, including expelling him as a persona non grata.
(This article was written by Taro Ono in Tokyo and Ryo Inoue in Beijing.)
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