Japan and China trade diplomatic shots at UN over Taiwan remarks

Japan and China are deepening their war of words at the United Nations after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi broke precedent by openly stating that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would represent a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.

Tokyo’s UN ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki on Thursday sent a letter to Antonio Guterres pushing back against Beijing’s complaint, saying Chinese claims were “inconsistent with the facts, unsubstantiated, and are categorically unacceptable”.

It’s the second time Japan has written to the UN in a month, both responses to Chinese letters condemning Takaichi’s comments.

Her remarks in the Japanese Diet in November signalled a rare break from Tokyo’s historically cautious tone on Taiwan. Analysts note that while Japan has long treated Taiwan’s security as intertwined with its own, prime ministers have typically avoided stating it plainly.

Taiwan, self-governed and claimed by Beijing, remains one of Asia’s most sensitive flashpoints. China insists Taiwan is an internal matter, and has vowed eventual reunification.

The diplomatic exchange has since turned heated. A Chinese diplomat in Osaka reportedly suggested in a now-deleted post that Takaichi’s head “should be cut off” over her remarks. Meanwhile, Chinese state outlets have begun questioning Japan’s historical claim to Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, a move observers described online as geopolitical trolling.