Japan should retract erroneous Taiwan remarks, says Chinese spokesperson

Japan should retract its erroneous remarks on Taiwan if it wants to develop the strategic relationship of mutual benefit with China, said Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Friday.

Mao made the comments in response to questions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks earlier in the day that the Japanese side's willingness to develop the strategic relationship of mutual benefit with China remains unchanged.

Takaichi's blatant and erroneous remarks on Taiwan, which imply the possibility of Japan's armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, have triggered outrage and condemnation from the Chinese people and eroded the political foundation of China-Japan relations, Mao said. "China has made clear its firm opposition."

"If it truly wants to develop the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit and build constructive and stable bilateral ties fit for the new era, Japan should abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and the political commitments it has made, immediately retract the recent erroneous remarks, and take practical steps to honor its commitments to China," said Mao.

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