Wang Yi Demands Japan 'Correct' Takaichi's Taiwan Remarks — SkimNews
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- Wang Yi met former Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya in Beijing on Sept 28, telling him bilateral ties face a "severe situation" and need to be "normalized," according to China's foreign ministry
- Beijing demanded Japan "correct the erroneous words and deeds" of PM Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan, specifically her November parliamentary comments suggesting Japan could support the US in a Taiwan emergency
- China's foreign ministry said Wang invoked the 80th anniversary of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (1946–1948), telling Iwaya Japan must "learn from history" or it "will be impossible to open up a future"
- Beijing has intensified criticism of Takaichi's defense buildup policies, claiming "neo-militarism" is on the rise in Japan amid the months-long diplomatic feud
- Iwaya is heading a roughly 50-member delegation from Japan's Association for the Promotion of International Trade on a four-day visit through Wednesday, with possible meetings with senior Chinese officials
- The trade body's visit was postponed from June following the death of former foreign minister Yohei Kono, whom Wang praised for confronting Japan's wartime past — including his 1993 "comfort women" apology as chief Cabinet secretary
- Iwaya pledged to carry forward Kono's legacy and steer the relationship back on track, calling the current state of ties "concerning"
Why it matters: Wang is publicly conditioning normalization on Japan walking back Takaichi's Taiwan contingency remarks — a concession Tokyo is unlikely to make — suggesting the standoff will persist. Pairing that demand with an invocation of the Tokyo Trials anniversary reframes a policy dispute as a historical-moral indictment, sharply raising the diplomatic cost for the Takaichi government to compromise without losing face at home.
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