China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Fu Cong, has issued a stern rebuke of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent characterization of Taiwan as a potential military contingency for Japan. During Monday’s UN Security Council debate on Leadership for Peace, Fu demanded immediate retraction of these statements and warned Japan against persisting on this “wrong path.”
The diplomatic confrontation stems from Prime Minister Takaichi’s unprecedented declaration to the Japanese parliament last month that a “Taiwan contingency” could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially justifying military intervention. This marked the first explicit threat of force toward China by a postwar Japanese leader.
Ambassador Fu framed these comments within historical context, noting the international community’s ongoing reflection on World War II lessons. “Militarism and fascism once brought unprecedented catastrophes to humanity,” Fu stated, adding that any attempts to “whitewash or overturn the history of aggression challenge the bottom line of human conscience.”
The Chinese envoy emphasized the necessity of upholding the postwar international order and UN Charter principles, including sovereign equality of states and opposition to unilateralism. His remarks coincided with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s criticism of the Security Council’s dysfunctionality, particularly citing the repeated use of veto power to shield allies from accountability.
In parallel developments, China announced immediate sanctions against Shigeru Iwasaki, former chief of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff, for colluding with Taiwan independence forces. The measures include freezing all his assets in China, responding to his March appointment as a “political consultant” for Taiwan authorities.
The diplomatic exchange highlights escalating tensions in East Asia, with China reinforcing its position that Taiwan represents an absolute “red line” in international relations that must not be crossed.