China says its policy towards Japan will not be changed by one election

BEIJING: China's policy towards Japan will not be changed by one particular election, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

AI Brief

PM Sanae Takaichi's coalition wins decisively, enabling her tax-cut and defense-expansion agenda.
Her earlier statement suggesting Japan could respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan sparked tension with Beijing.
China urges Takaichi to withdraw her remarks as Taiwan continues to reject Beijing's sovereignty claim.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's coalition swept to victory in an election on Sunday, paving the way for promised tax cuts and military spending.

Takaichi sparked a diplomatic row with Beijing in November after she said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could amount to a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and potentially trigger a military response.

China claims sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan. The island's government rejects that claim.

China urges Japan's prime minister to withdraw her remarks on Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing on Monday.