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Japanese officials voice their opinions after envoy's visit to China over Prime Minister Takaichi's erroneous remarks

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Nov 18, 2025 11:51 PM

Multiple Japanese senior officials have voiced their opinions as Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, wrapped up his visit in China on Tuesday. Kanai held consultations with the Chinese side regarding Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks on the Taiwan question.

According to CCTV News, Kanai on Tuesday met with Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in Beijing. Around 2 pm, Kanai and his delegation left the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

At around 3:30 pm, Global Times reporters spotted Kanai leaving China via the Beijing Capital International Airport. However, Kanai did not answer any questions from the media at the airport.

After Kanai's meeting with Chinese officials concluded in Beijing, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told Phoenix TV during a press conference on Tuesday that Japan's position on the Taiwan question remains based on the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement. Japan understands and respects China's position on Taiwan, and this policy has not changed, he said.

When pressed by the Phoenix TV reporter with the follow-up question: "Could you please clearly state which specific sentence in the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement Japan will Japan continue to abide by?" Motegi did not give a direct answer.

During the press conference, Motegi also said that "precisely because there are differences of opinion, it is important for both the government and private sectors to maintain multi-layered communication," TBS News reported on Tuesday.

Also at a press conference on Tuesday, Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, called for a calm approach amid rising tensions between Japan and China over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks, saying, "the greatest concern is the division of public opinion within the country. Diplomatic relations must always be handled calmly, carefully, and cautiously," Mainichi Shimbun reported on Tuesday.

Tamaki also pointed out that he "has strong concerns" about the rising tensions between Japan and China over Takaichi's remarks on a potential "Taiwan emergency," adding that "both countries must make every effort to ensure that occasional military conflict never occurs," according to Mainichi Shimbun.

In response to a media inquiry on details of the consultations between Kanai and Liu on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that on Tuesday morning, Liu held consultations in Beijing with Kanai.

During the consultations, China lodged stern representations with Japan once again over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan question, pointing out that Takaichi's fallacious statements seriously violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations, gravely undermine the post-war international order, and blatantly contravene the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan.

Takaichi's remarks fundamentally damage the political foundation of China-Japan relations, are of an extremely egregious nature and impact, and have aroused strong indignation and condemnation among the Chinese people, Mao said.

Mao said that China solemnly urges Japan to retract its erroneous statements, stop creating trouble on issues related to China, and take concrete actions to correct its mistakes and uphold the political foundation of China-Japan relations.