【Epoch Times News on November 18, 2025】On November 18, during a visit to China, Ken Imai, Director of the Asia-Oceania Division of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, refused to retract the statement regarding “Taiwan’s situation.” After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi made the statement about “Taiwan’s situation,” the Chinese Communist Party retaliated with pressure tactics, prompting a strong response from Japan, leading to escalating tensions. Analysts believe that the CCP’s retaliatory pressure on Japan aims to incite nationalism and divert internal contradictions in China, but its effectiveness is questionable.
According to reports from the Kyodo News Agency, on November 18, Ken Imai, Director of the Asia-Oceania Division of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a director-level meeting in Beijing with Liu Jingsong, Director of the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Chinese side demanded that Japan retract Sanae Takayichi’s statement on “Taiwan’s situation,” but Japan indicated no intention to retract, highlighting the deepening divide between the two countries.
On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi mentioned during parliamentary questioning that a “situation in Taiwan” could constitute a “state of existential crisis” for Japan and hinted that under Japan’s current “security legislation,” Japan could judge exercising collective self-defense.
The tension sparked by Prime Minister Takayichi’s “Taiwan’s situation” remarks is expected to prolong the strained relationship between the two countries, impacting political, economic ties, and even people-to-people exchanges between Japan and China. Whether a breakthrough can be achieved through continuous dialogue remains a focal point moving forward.
Later that same evening, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Minoru Kihara, reiterated that there were no plans to retract the content of Prime Minister Takayichi’s parliamentary remarks. He stated, “This does not change the government’s established stance,” and strongly protested against inappropriate comments made by the Chinese Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also emphasized that Takayichi’s statements were in line with the government’s existing views, with “no intention to retract or cancel.” Japan also demanded an explanation from Beijing regarding Xue Jian’s words and actions. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party also urged a decisive response, including declaring Xue Jian as persona non grata and expelling him from Japan.
On November 18, Attorney Sakimachi, a director of the Japan Overseas Human Rights Lawyers Union, stated to Epoch Times that Japan and the United States are allies, and the CCP can now only show “firmness” in diplomacy.
As tensions heighten between China and Japan, the Japanese Embassy in China has urged Japanese expatriates to enhance security precautions and avoid crowded places while staying in China.
On November 17, the Japanese Embassy in China issued a security notice on its website, advising Japanese citizens in China to “be vigilant, be aware of their surroundings, watch for suspicious individuals, and travel in groups as much as possible to ensure their safety. If traveling with children, please be extra cautious.”
The security notice also reminds Japanese citizens in China to “be mindful of their surroundings, avoid crowded public areas and areas frequented by Japanese nationals, and if you notice any suspicious individuals or groups, do not approach and leave the area immediately.”
The Japanese Embassy mentioned, “We are available to assist you even outside of office hours.”
Recently, the CCP’s actions have been frequent. Consul General Xue Jian in Osaka threatened Sanae Takayichi on the evening of November 8 on social media platform X, stating that “he could only decisively cut off that intrusion of a filthy head,” causing a stir in Japan, with the post now deleted.
On the evening of November 14, citing a “continuous deterioration of the safety environment for Chinese citizens in Japan,” the CCP issued a travel ban warning against “traveling to Japan,” advising the public to carefully consider studying or traveling to Japan.
Additionally, Chinese maritime police vessels have repeatedly sailed into waters around the Diaoyu Islands (known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan), engaged in live ammunition firings in the central Yellow Sea, and more.
Regarding the CCP’s actions, Professor Yao Yuan Ye of Saint Thomas University stated to Epoch Times on November 18 that the authoritarian regime of the CCP has been threatening other countries, such as prohibiting students from studying abroad and tourism, attempting to impact the economies of these countries through coercion rather than cooperation, and using unfriendly postures instead of resolving conflicts through cooperation and soft power. The intense propaganda of “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” in the CCP’s internal media outlets is viewed as a joke by most countries, and essentially amounts to forcible interference in other countries.
The executive director of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank, veteran media figure Akihiko Yaita, posted on social media platform X on November 18, stating that in analyzing Sino-Japanese relations, Japanese Minister of Economic Security Kimitomo Onoda pointed out that the CCP “immediately exerts economic pressure when dissatisfied, and overreliance on such countries is a huge risk.” This not only applies to the supply chain but also tourism could potentially become a tool of coercion.
Yaita also expressed that Kimitomo Onoda’s words pinpointed the core issue, as the CCP regards normal trade, tourist flows, and interactions as controllable weapons.
Regarding the threatening remarks by Consul General Xue Jian in Osaka, Sakimachi stated, “They (personnel of the Chinese consulate) report everything they do to the organization, Xue Jian did not have the authority to do it, he reported it upwards, and then they collectively sent it out.”
He revealed that he had been deeply involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and had a lot of communication with embassies, understanding how Chinese embassies operate.
In response to the CCP exploiting Takayichi’s “Taiwan’s situation” remarks and making frequent moves, Yao Yuan Ye believes that the core purpose is to incite so-called nationalism and to divert internal contradictions in China.
“Using the propaganda of the Party’s media, on the one hand, to portray Takayichi as a troublemaker and then exaggerate the problem, in order to intensify Chinese hatred towards Japan,” said Yao Yuan Ye. “The core purpose is to rekindle hatred towards Japan to unite the Chinese people or to distract from domestic issues, such as economic problems, unemployment rate, and other issues.”
“In the short term, it can drive public opinion, but it fundamentally cannot solve the country’s economic problems, overcapacity, unemployment rate, weak domestic demand, internal consumption, and infighting issues. They have not proposed any solutions to deal with economic problems, which is a matter of livelihood.”
He stated that, in the current situation, the impact would not be significant, as many people still want to visit Japan. If the CCP continues its operations, it will ultimately only bring trouble upon itself.
Sakimachi also believes that the Communist Party fabricates many external enemies such as the United States and Japan to incite “national hatred,” in order to stir up domestic contradictions and consolidate its rule.
However, he noted that many Chinese people are clear-minded. “A few days ago, I was scrolling through Douyin and saw a comment about attacking Taiwan, stating that if Taiwan is not conquered, martyrs would not rest in peace. Many comments below said that those martyrs are on the other side; some expressed hoping for Taiwan to live better than them; many people do not want to see the Communist Party attack Taiwan. We are all of the Chinese nation, our bloodline is the same… I am still more optimistic that a large part of the population does not support the Communist Party attacking Taiwan.”