After the controversial remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai on the “beheading theory,” Chinese Consul General Xue Jian in Osaka has remained out of the public eye. He was absent from the New Year event held in Osaka on January 8 and has not been seen for a long time.
Pro-Beijing organizations in Japan, such as the “Osaka Japan-China Friendship Association” and the “Japan-China Economic and Trade Center,” hosted a New Year event on January 8 in Osaka. However, Xue Jian, the Chinese Consul General in Osaka, was absent. He was replaced by Vice Consul General Fang Wei at the event, but Fang Wei also did not deliver any speech.
Xue Jian’s absence at this event breaks the tradition of having a Chinese Consul General attend New Year events. According to the Japanese media outlet Asahi Shimbun, the organizers of the event mentioned that there was no explanation given by the Chinese side for Xue Jian’s absence. On the other hand, a source from the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka claimed that “the Consul General has been deeply concerned about the China-Japan relations recently, and the reason for his absence should be understood by all.”
According to public records, Xue Jian was born in July 1968 in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province. He previously served as the Deputy Director of the Asian Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He took up the position of Consul General in Osaka in November 2021, with the rank of an ambassador.
On November 7 of last year, Prime Minister Takai stated during a budget committee meeting in the House of Representatives that if China were to launch a maritime blockade against Taiwan or take military actions, it could pose a “critical situation for Japan’s survival,” implying that Japan could utilize its right to collective self-defense. This was the first time the current Prime Minister directly pointed out the direct relevance between “an incident in Taiwan” and Japan’s security.
Xue Jian later reposted an article from Asahi Shimbun, commenting, “Dirty heads that intrude should be promptly cut off without hesitation. Are you prepared for that?” accompanied by angry emoticons.
His social media post quickly sparked controversy, with criticisms labeling it as a potential threat of violence against Prime Minister Takai, describing it as extremely malicious. By the evening of November 9, Xue Jian had deleted the post.
Xue Jian’s “beheading” declaration stirred up a commotion in the Japanese political sphere, with several parliamentary members expressing “extreme indignation.” Former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the House of Representatives, Jin Matsuhara, stated on X that he had repeatedly requested the government to expel Xue Jian from the country in accordance with the Vienna Convention.
Since the incident, Xue Jian has not publicly appeared and only issued a New Year’s greeting to overseas compatriots in his consular district on New Year’s Day through the official website of the Consulate General in Osaka. Prior to that, Xue Jian, who was very active on social media platforms, fell silent after reposting several posts on December 3 last year.
Following the incident, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs simply referred to Xue Jian’s post as “personal views” and began to criticize Sanae Takai’s comments on Taiwan, leading to an escalation of tensions between the two countries.