China and Japan Continue War of Words Triggered by Wang Yi's Remarks at Munich Security Conference
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has issued a Lunar New Year greeting message amid ongoing tensions between China and Japan.
According to the Prime Minister's Office on the 17th, in the message released the previous day, Prime Minister Takaichi stated, "In the current international situation, Japan will play a greater role in promoting peace and prosperity in the international community," adding, "In that context, I hope that peace will come to the world and that this will be a year in which as many people as possible can lead tranquil lives."
She went on to say, "This year is the Year of the Horse, and horses are intelligent, agile, and vigorous," introducing that "this year, being the year of Byeongo (丙午), is said to be a year overflowing with energy and drive for action."
Prime Minister Takaichi added, "I hope this will be a year overflowing with strong hope, and I sincerely wish you happiness and prosperity."
The Lunar New Year greeting message was prepared not only in Japanese but also in English and Chinese, and was posted on the website of the Prime Minister's Office.
Successive Japanese prime ministers have issued brief greeting messages around the Lunar New Year addressed to the Chinese communities active in Japan.
In last year's message, former Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru expressed gratitude for support activities from around the world in response to the powerful earthquake and heavy rain damage that struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on Honshu in 2024, and stated that Japan would continue to maintain the international order through repeated dialogue and cooperation with other countries.
Meanwhile, China and Japan have been trading barbs since Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China (who concurrently serves as Foreign Minister), strongly criticized Prime Minister Takaichi's suggestion of possible involvement "in the event of a contingency in Taiwan" - which had become a source of China-Japan confrontation - by denouncing it as "kuangyan" (狂言, absurd and reckless remarks) at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on the 14th of this month (local time).
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 15th that it had lodged a stern protest, saying Director Wang had made inappropriate remarks, while the Chinese Embassy in Japan, according to Kyodo News on the 16th, countered Japan's protest by asserting that "Japan is distorting the facts."
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