Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions about the Group of 20 summit and Japan-China relations at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Nov. 21. (Takeshi Iwashita)

Japan’s top government spokesman warned that future remarks on Taiwan must be made with "extreme caution," after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments sparked a backlash from China and risked being misunderstood.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a news conference on Nov. 21 that the government must be extremely careful in the future to avoid a misunderstanding.

He noted that Takaichi’s recent Diet testimony on a Japanese response in the event of a Taiwan contingency “could have been interpreted as a case study” of a specific scenario.

“If anything misleading occurs, we must respond with extreme caution going forward,” Kihara said. 

PAST PRECEDENTS

The chief Cabinet secretary was responding to a reporter’s question on whether Takaichi’s remarks, which assumed U.S. forces would rush to defend Taiwan in the event of a crisis, were appropriate.

In past Diet deliberations, the Japanese government cited examples such as protecting U.S. vessels transporting Japanese nationals and removing mines in the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East where Japan could exercise the right of collective self-defense under a survival-threatening situation.

With these past Diet sessions in mind, Kihara pointed out, “Things like specific, concrete case studies have been extremely limited.”

He said that the prime minister's latest remarks were “somewhat different (from previous Diet discussions) and could be taken as a case study.”

GROUP OF 20 CONTEXT

On the same day, Takaichi flew from Haneda Airport to attend the Group of 20 leaders’ meeting to be held in Johannesburg on Nov. 22 and 23.

Before departing, she spoke to reporters.

Regarding China’s mounting anger to her remarks, she reaffirmed that promoting a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests with China was confirmed at the Japan-China summit held in late October.

“There is absolutely no change to this way of thinking,” Takaichi emphasized.

She also reiterated the standard government view that “what kind of situation constitutes a survival-threatening situation is something the government will comprehensively judge based on all information, in accordance with the specific, concrete circumstances of the situation that has actually occurred.”

Amid Beijing’s backlash to Takaichi’s remarks, Tokyo has taken the stance that “dialogue is important precisely because there are pending issues,” according to a close aide to the prime minister.

The Japanese side has also been exploring the possibility of a brief, informal “standing chat” between Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Group of 20 summit.

However, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stated, “There are no plans (for a meeting).”

In addition, China is increasing economic pressure, such as by effectively halting imports of Japanese seafood, citing concerns over the release of treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the sea.

In Beijing on Nov. 21, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning again demanded a retraction of Takichi's remarks.

Regarding Takaichi’s comment that her thinking on promoting a mutually beneficial relationship has not changed, Mao said, “If the Japanese side sincerely wishes to advance a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests, it should retract the erroneous remarks and fulfill its promises to China with concrete actions.”

In response to China’s hard-line stance, voices within the Japanese government are growing stronger in favor of abandoning hopes for a meeting at the Group of 20 summit and seeking another opportunity instead. 

A senior official at the prime minister’s office asked, “Should we really be holding a dialogue with the Chinese side now?”

(This article was written by Haruka Suzuki, Nobuhiko Tajima, and correspondent Tokuhiko Saito.)

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