PM Takaichi rejects demand to retract Taiwan remarks

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has rebuffed China's calls to withdraw her comments on Taiwan, saying her government's position remains consistent.

Her statement follows warnings from China's Commerce Ministry that Japan could face consequences if Takaichi refuses to retract her remarks.

The Prime Minister however said she wanted to continue to try and improve relations, after she met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the APEC Summit in South Korea last month.

Tensions between the two countries rose after Takaichi told Parliament on November 7 that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a response from the Japanese military.

Beijing said her comments have weakened the political basis of bilateral relations and disrupted normal economic exchanges, adding that it would take action if Japan continues on "the wrong path".

Several concerts featuring Japanese musicians have been cancelled in China this week in response to escalating tensions.

Beijing has also banned all Japanese seafood imports, after just partially easing restrictions it had imposed due to Tokyo's decision to release treated wastewater from its Fukushima power plant.

The power plant had been the site of a nuclear meltdown following a catastrophic tsunami and earthquake in 2011.

China is Japan's second-largest export market, purchasing roughly USD125 billion worth of goods in 2024.