The Chinese Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, recently posted on social media platform X to campaign for candidates of the new Reiwa Shinsengumi in the Japanese House of Representatives election in October, violating the obligation of diplomats not to interfere in the domestic affairs of the host country. The Japanese government on Friday (November 22) deemed his actions as “extremely inappropriate” during a cabinet meeting and has requested the deletion of the post through diplomatic channels. The post has since been removed.
According to a report by Nikkei Shimbun, based on a query letter submitted by former abduction issue minister Hitoshi Matsubara (independent), Xue Jian posted in Japanese on X on October 25, urging voters to write “Reiwa (Shinsengumi)” on their proportional representation ballots regardless of where they are voting in the country. He also referenced a street speech video by the representative of the Reiwa Shinsengumi, Tarō Yamamoto.
Regarding his reasons for supporting the Reiwa Shinsengumi, Xue Jian wrote on his account with 83,000 followers, “Once politics deviates in any country, the nation will collapse, and ordinary people outside the privileged class will fall into poverty, ultimately descending into hell.”
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomatic personnel have a duty not to interfere in the domestic affairs of the host country.
The “Wolf Warrior” diplomat, Xue Jian, had previously sent letters to parliament members in the Kansai region of Japan, stating that Japanese parliamentarians who attended President Tsai Ing-wen’s inauguration ceremony in May were endorsing “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, conveying extremely misguided political messages.
He warned these members, saying, “Strongly hope that you do not have any contact or dealings with Taiwan,” and “take practical actions to uphold the overall situation of Sino-Japanese relations.” The recipients of his letters included Hitoshi Matsubara, members of the Japan Innovation Party, Kioji Uotani, and independent member Keiichiro Kitakami.
Hitoshi Matsubara pointed out in his query letter, “Xue Jian repeatedly engages in unacceptable behavior, and it should be declared that he is an unwelcome person and be expelled from the country.”
In response to the query letter, the Japanese government expressed that the content of Xue Jian’s correspondence was “unacceptable to our country,” but as for what actions will be taken in the future, it is difficult to answer at this stage.
(Translated from 中央社)