Japanese Prime Minister refers to Taiwan as a 'country'... China responds, "Taiwan is part of China"

China: "Japan must be cautious in words and actions regarding the Taiwan issue"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga referred to Taiwan as a 'country,' prompting an immediate backlash from China.

Taiwan's United Daily News reported, citing Japanese media, that Prime Minister Suga mentioned the quarantine policies of Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan on the 9th, referring to them as 'these three countries.'

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing on the 10th, "The Japanese leader openly called Taiwan a country," adding, "China strongly objects to Japan's erroneous remarks and has already lodged a stern representation."

Spokesperson Wang urged, "Japan must be cautious in its words and actions regarding the Taiwan issue," emphasizing, "Under no circumstances should China's sovereignty be undermined, nor should any wrong signals be sent to Taiwan independence forces." He further stressed, "There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory."

China and Japan have repeatedly clashed over the Taiwan issue. In April, Japan included the "importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait" in the joint statement of the US-Japan summit, and last month, Japan raised the Taiwan issue during talks with European Union (EU) leaders, provoking China's opposition. Earlier this month, Japan also provided 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine to Taiwan free of charge.