Beijing has issued a renewed diplomatic appeal to Tokyo, demanding the immediate retraction of what it characterizes as fundamentally incorrect remarks concerning Taiwan. The statement was delivered by Zhang Han, spokesperson for China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, during a regularly scheduled press conference on Wednesday.
Zhang emphasized that recent comments attributed to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan constitute unacceptable interference in China’s internal affairs. Such statements, according to the spokesperson, send dangerously misleading signals to separatist factions advocating for Taiwanese independence while simultaneously undermining regional stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The spokesperson invoked significant historical anniversaries to contextualize China’s position, noting that 2025 marks eight decades since victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan’s restoration to China. Additionally, this year commemorates the 82nd anniversary of the Cairo Declaration—a document that, along with other internationally recognized legal instruments, explicitly affirms China’s sovereign claim over Taiwan.
Zhang underscored that Japan bears specific obligations under international law to adhere to the provisions outlined in these foundational documents. The spokesperson concluded with an unequivocal declaration: ‘Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. It has never been, and will never be, a country. The future of Taiwan must be determined collectively by all Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan.’