"Malicious Act"... China Outraged by Takaichi's Meeting with Taiwan Representative

Japan Releases Photo After Meeting With Taiwan Representative
China Protests, Citing "Violation of One China Principle"

China and Japan have clashed diplomatically over the Taiwan issue. Although Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held their first summit meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, tensions over Taiwan and security issues remain unresolved.

On the 1st in Gyeongju, Lin Xin met with the Senior Advisor of the Taiwan Presidential Office and Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan. Sanae Takaichi X

According to Japanese media outlets such as the Yomiuri Shimbun and Kyodo News on November 2, Prime Minister Takaichi held a meeting lasting about 25 minutes on November 1 in Gyeongju with Lin Xin, Senior Advisor to the Taiwan Presidential Office, who was attending APEC as Taiwan's representative. During the meeting, Prime Minister Takaichi stated, "Taiwan is a very important partner and a valued friend with whom Japan shares close economic and people-to-people ties," adding, "We will further deepen cooperation and exchanges across a wide range of fields going forward."

Lin responded by expressing hope that the relationship between the two countries would be further strengthened. After the meeting, Prime Minister Takaichi posted a photo of herself smiling and shaking hands with Lin on her social media platform X (formerly Twitter). It was also reported that the two had exchanged greetings at the APEC venue on the previous day, October 31.

Prime Minister Takaichi, a staunch conservative and a prominent pro-Taiwan politician, has continued her "anti-China, pro-Taiwan" stance, including visiting Taiwan in April this year as a member of parliament. In response, China immediately protested.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized, "The Japanese leader's insistence on meeting with a Taiwan authority figure during the APEC summit and publicly promoting it is a serious violation of the 'One China' principle," adding, "It sends the wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' forces." The spokesperson continued, "China firmly opposes this and has lodged a strong protest with the Japanese side."

China and Japan Expose Differences at Defense Ministers' Meeting

President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan met at the China-Japan Summit held in Gyeongju on October 31. Photo by Yonhap News

The confrontation between the two countries has extended beyond diplomacy into the defense sector. Dong Jun, Minister of National Defense of China, and Shinjiro Koizumi, Minister of Defense of Japan, held talks on November 1 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Malaysia. While both sides agreed on the importance of communication, they only confirmed differences on key issues.

Minister Koizumi stated, "The activities of the Chinese military in the East China Sea and the Pacific are causing serious concern," and demanded, "Immediately cease actions that infringe upon Japanese airspace and territorial waters." In response, Minister Dong reiterated China's firm stance, describing it as a "territorial sovereignty issue."

Minister Koizumi also proposed activating the defense authorities' hotline between the two countries, but China reportedly responded negatively, citing "differences in positions." Although the hotline was established in March last year, it has been rarely used since the first call in May of that year.

Meanwhile, the Yomiuri Shimbun assessed the South Korea-China summit, stating, "Although it proceeded in a relatively friendly atmosphere, the structural conflicts between the two countries remain." The newspaper pointed out, "China is wary of the strengthening of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, while South Korea is reacting against China's hegemonic moves, making it unclear whether relations will improve anytime soon." It also noted, "There are numerous pending issues between South Korea and China, including the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and the installation of Chinese structures in the Provisional Measures Zone in the West Sea."

The Asahi Shimbun reported, "The South Korean and Chinese leaders showed differences in their approach to North Korea's denuclearization." The newspaper added, "President Lee Jaemyung requested China's constructive role in resuming inter-Korean dialogue, but President Xi avoided making specific comments."