President Lai Ching-Te urged the international community to keep a close eye on China’s moves, saying Beijing should “exercise restraint and demonstrate the conduct befitting a major power, rather than becoming a troublemaker for regional peace and stability.”
Japan has pushed back after China told its citizens to avoid setting foot in the country, a major blow for a tourism sector that relies heavily on Chinese visitors. Tokyo responded with a formal protest and said both sides needed to maintain communication, though it wasn’t immediately clear if Beijing will ease its tone. One Japanese official said China should take “appropriate measures.” Tourism-linked stocks in Japan slipped after the advisory.
The tensions kicked off just days after Beijing sent drones and naval vessels into waters near Japan following harsh warnings directed at Tokyo. The move came shortly after Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested Tokyo might have to consider military action if China attacks Taiwan.
“If there are battleships and the use of force, no matter how you think about it, it could constitute a survival-threatening situation,” she said. The phrase is a legal classification under Japan’s 2015 security law for scenarios that could threaten the nation or its allies.
In the wake of Takaichi's debut meeting with China’s Xi Jinping, China's consul-general in Osaka threatened to cut the Japanese PM’s "dirty neck." The CCP has also launched an attack on Takaichi in the media, threatening to destroy its island neighbor to the east if it became involved in a conflict over Taiwan. One state television commentary said, "If Sanae Takaichi refuses to repent, Japan will be eternally doomed."
