China Warns Japan Again Not to Interfere in Taiwan Affairs

JAKARTA - The Chinese Foreign Ministry again warned Japan not to interfere in Taiwan's affairs under any pretext.

"From both a historical and legal perspective, Japan has no right to interfere in Taiwan's territorial affairs, which are part of China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press conference in Beijing, Tuesday, January 27, reported by ANTARA.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a TV appearance in Japan on Monday (26/1) that Japan's security alliance with the United States would collapse if Tokyo failed to respond to a crisis involving Taiwan.

"If the US military, which is acting together with Japan, is attacked and Japan does nothing and flees, the Japan-US alliance will collapse," he said in a national TV program ahead of the February lower house election.

Takaichi said Japan did not intend to initiate military action in a conflict between China and the US over Taiwan. Instead, he described Japan's potential involvement in such a situation as limited, legitimate, and situation-dependent, stressing the evacuation of Japanese and US citizens and the possibility of joint action only when allied forces were attacked.

"The Government of the People's Republic of China reaffirms that Taiwan is an inseparable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The Government of Japan fully understands and respects this stance of the Government of the People's Republic of China, and firmly maintains its stance based on Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation," said Guo Jiakun.

Guo Jiakun said there was a series of instruments with legal force under international law, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, requiring all territories that Japan had stolen from China, such as Taiwan, to be returned to China and Japan must "completely disarm" and not maintain industries that "allow it to rearm for war".

"Japan's constitution also stipulates strict restrictions on the country's armed forces, the right to wage war, and the right to declare war," Guo Jiakun added.

Japan, said Guo Jiakun, is taking contradictory actions by claiming to act within the limits of the law but continues to interfere in China's domestic affairs and even threatens to use military force against China.

"This is a contradictory thing. Japan committed countless crimes during its colonial rule in Taiwan for more than 50 years, and bears a serious historical responsibility to the Chinese people," Guo Jiakun said.

Takaichi's statement according to Guo Jiakun revealed the Japanese right-wing group's ambition to provoke hostilities, create problems and take advantage of the opportunity to continue to remilitarize Japan and challenge the post-war international order.

"This has threatened regional peace and stability as well as the political foundation of China-Japan relations. The international community must remain vigilant and resolutely reject this. We once again urge Japan to introspect, correct its mistakes and stop its manipulation and reckless actions regarding the Taiwan issue," said Guo Jiakun.

PM Takaichi in the TV broadcast said he wanted to clarify his statement on November 7, 2025, which said that China's military use of Taiwan could "create a situation that threatens Japan's survival" and trigger prolonged tensions in Sino-Japanese relations.

Japan's post-World War II pacifist constitution does limit the country to engaging in direct military action.

However, the constitution allows for collective self-defense if allies, such as the US, are attacked and Japan's own survival is threatened.

Takaichi argued that any Japanese response to the crisis related to Taiwan would remain within the existing legal limits and be based on a comprehensive assessment of the conditions on the ground, so he did not withdraw his statement on November 7.

In response to PM Takaichi's statement on November 7, China has taken a number of countermeasures, including resuming imports of Japanese seafood products, cutting off high-level government meetings, advising its citizens not to travel or study in Japan, stopping the release of Japanese films, and promising to retaliate firmly if Tokyo is involved militarily in Taiwan affairs.

In addition, two Chinese Navy J-15 fighter jets alternately locked their radars onto Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) F-15 aircraft over the open sea southeast of Okinawa on Saturday (6/12). The action also triggered protests from Japan.