The People’s Republic of China conducted its largest live-fire military exercises on Monday and Tuesday in the vicinity of Taiwan, triggering condemnation from various countries. The government of Japan issued a statement on Wednesday (December 31st) expressing concern over the escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait caused by these actions.
Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura released a three-point statement on the ministry’s official website, outlining Japan’s stance on the Chinese military exercises.
Firstly, Kitamura stated, “The recent military exercises conducted by the Chinese (Communist) military around Taiwan have intensified tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and the Japanese government has expressed concerns to China.”
Secondly, “Japan’s consistent position is to seek a peaceful resolution to the Taiwan issue through dialogue.”
And thirdly, “Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait region are crucial to the entire international community. We will continue to monitor the situation with high attention.”
The military exercises conducted by the People’s Republic of China this week around Taiwan involved a large number of fighter jets and naval vessels engaging in live-ammunition drills, simulating the blockade of Taiwan’s major ports and attacks on maritime targets. Sources informed Japanese media outlet Kyodo News that the Japanese government communicated its position to China on Monday, the first day of the military exercises around Taiwan.
Japan’s stance has attracted international attention. In the past few weeks, relations between Japan and China have become tense due to comments made by the Mayor of Osaka, Ichiro Matsui, regarding Taiwan. On November 7th, Matsui stated during a parliamentary session that a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait could be considered a “threat to Japan’s survival.” This declaration could provide a legal basis for Japan to invoke its collective self-defense right and intervene in the event of a Taiwan Strait conflict.
Subsequently, the Chinese authorities took a series of economic retaliation measures against Japan, including warning Chinese tourists not to travel to Japan, suspending the process of resuming imports of Japanese seafood, and halting the approval of new Japanese films. Beijing also demanded that Mayor Matsui retract her statements, but she refused to do so. She said, “In the face of a threat to Japan’s survival, the government will make a comprehensive judgment based on all available information and the actual circumstances.”
Yasuhide Nakayama, a member of Japan’s ruling party and former Assistant Minister of Defense, pointed out that discussing security realities truthfully is not provocative but rather a right of every sovereign nation.
As a result of the diplomatic turmoil caused by Mayor Matsui’s comments regarding Taiwan, a delegation composed of representatives from Japan’s three major business groups announced on Wednesday that their scheduled trip to China in January has been postponed.
The Japanese Business Federation, Japan-China Economic Association, and Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry have informed their members that the visit, which was expected to take place in January, will not yield substantive results. Therefore, the trip has been postponed with no new visitation date provided.