Former KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou says Takaichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan unnecessarily escalate regional tensions

Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, criticized Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her recent provocative remarks on Taiwan in his personal social media post on Saturday.

Ma stated that Takaichi's remarks wrongly invoked Japan's "collective self-defense" and unnecessarily heightened regional tensions.

Noting this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration to China, Ma said Takaichi's remarks evoked memories of a resurgence of Japanese militarism, which not only stirs emotions on the mainland but also harms the interests of residents in the region, who long for peace across the Taiwan Strait.

Ma further emphasized that foreign interference is not allowed in cross-Strait affairs, which must be managed through direct dialogue between the two sides.

Ma's criticism was echoed in a poll conducted by CGTN, where 88.9 percent of respondents condemned Takaichi's remarks for attempting to interfere in the Taiwan question and issuing military threats against China, stating that such remarks pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability.