Experts call Japanese PM Takaichi's remarks on China's Taiwan a deliberate provocation

Experts warn that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks on China's Taiwan region constitute a deliberate provocation, threatening the political foundation of China–Japan relations.

During a parliamentary session last week, Takaichi suggested Japan could be drawn into a conflict across the Taiwan Strait, linking such a scenario to Japan's exercise of collective self-defense. Beijing has lodged repeated protests, but Tokyo has not retracted the statements, prompting strong objections from China's Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. Officials emphasized that any attempt to obstruct China's reunification is a vain dream doomed to fail.

Subtle maneuvers on the Taiwan question have not been uncommon in Japanese politics in recent years, but Takaichi is the first prime minister since Japan's defeat in 1945 to openly advocate in formal settings that "an incident in Taiwan is an incident for Japan" and to link this stance to the exercise of collective self-defense.

Scholars interviewed by China Media Group (CMG) said Takaichi's remarks were intentionally provocative and aimed at crossing Beijing's red lines.

Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, described Takaichi's remarks as the most serious provocation on the Taiwan question by any Japanese leader since diplomatic normalization in 1972, inflicting significant damage on bilateral ties.

Su Xiaohui, an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said the comments violate the one-China principle and undermine the political basis of China–Japan relations. Su noted the timing of the remarks makes them especially challenging to post-war international norms.

Takaichi, known for her right-wing stance, has pursued an assertive agenda since taking office less than a month ago, proposing military expansion and increased defense spending. She is widely seen as an adherent of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's nationalist policies; paying frequent visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, insisting on a denial of historical atrocities and promoting a so-called "China threat" narrative.

Su said Japan's repeated maneuvers regarding China's Taiwan region, increasingly visible on the international stage, aim to involve itself in cross-Strait affairs and to "internationalize" the Taiwan question.

Tokyo's attempts to reinterpret its post-war pacifist policies and exercise collective self-defense, including recent comments on the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, have drawn regional concern, making Japan an increasingly negative factor when it comes to the long-term peace of the Asia Pacific, Su added.

Liu Jiangyong, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University, said Takaichi's remarks demonstrate a longstanding lack of reflection among some Japanese right-wing politicians over Japan's colonial rule in Taiwan.

He said Takaichi's remarks expose the strategic thinking of anti-China forces in Japan and signal a clear targeting of China, underscoring the need for vigilance regarding Japan's future trajectory.

Takaichi's comments also sparked domestic debate in Japan, with politicians and experts questioning their legal basis, policy rationale, and potential impact on regional security. Xiang said China–Japan relations are at a critical crossroads, with the political foundation under serious pressure and exchanges across trade, culture and civil society likely to be affected. He urged Tokyo to correct the statements promptly to mitigate negative consequences.