Japanese opposition leaders urge Takaichi to retract remarks on Taiwan region

Leaders from several Japanese opposition parties have sharply criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her recent erroneous remarks on China's Taiwan region, urging her to withdraw the remarks to prevent further damage to Japan-China relations.

Satoshi Honjo, policy chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, stated on a Sunday NHK program that Takaichi's Diet statements demonstrated an inadequate understanding of what constitutes a "survival-threatening situation" under Japanese law.

He argued that her remarks diverged significantly from relevant legislation, from how the Taiwan question is situated in Japan-China relations, and from the consistent positions expressed by successive Japanese governments since the normalization of diplomatic ties with China in 1972.

Taku Yamazoe, policy chief of the Japanese Communist Party, warned on the same program that Takaichi's comments could bring "serious consequences" for Japan and run counter to the Japanese Constitution, calling them "extremely dangerous."

Yamazoe stressed that Japan, in the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, declared it "fully understands and respects" China's position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. Takaichi's remarks, he said, clearly contradict that stance, as well as the 2008 bilateral joint statement affirming that the two countries "pose no threat to each other."

To resolve the current diplomatic strain, Yamazoe insisted the prime minister "must retract her remarks."

Akiko Oishi, co-representative of the Reiwa Shinsengumi, also criticized the comments as "groundless," urging the Japanese public to "stay calm and not be provoked."

Echoing the Japanese political leaders, Shigeaki Koga, a policy analyst and former Japanese government official, said Takaichi's "extremely reckless remarks have angered the Japanese people."

Koga said Japan has consistently operated on the basis of understanding and respecting the one-China principle and the position that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China."

(With input from Xinhua)