Tokyo, Nov 27 Former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has criticised current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks on China's Taiwan once again, stressing the importance of building stable relations between Japan and China, the Mainichi Shimbun reported.
Ishiba on Wednesday (local time) stated in a speech in Tokyo that since the normalisation of diplomatic relations between Japan and China in 1972, successive administrations have understood and respected China's position that Taiwan is a part of China, according to the report.
"It is something that must not be changed, and we have proceeded with tremendous caution," he added.
Ishiba reiterated the importance of maintaining smooth diplomatic relations between Japan and China, noting that currently, Japan relies on a wide range of imports from China, such as food, rare earths and pharmaceuticals, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Mainichi Shimbun.
Takaichi claimed at a Diet meeting on November 7 that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, which has drawn strong criticism at home immediately.
During a television program last Sunday, Ishiba criticised Takaichi for straining Japan-China relations by making the wrongful remarks, stating that successive Japanese governments have always managed bilateral relations very carefully, and everyone has handled things with truly meticulous care and the current administration should fully understand Japan's long-standing basic position and remain cautious in the implementation of policies in the future.
Earlier on Tuesday, Japan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yamazaki Kazuyuki, wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asserting that China's complaints about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan are factually "inaccurate and unsubstantiated".
The letter comes after Beijing lodged a sharp protest over Takaichi's statement before a parliamentary committee on November 7, in which she reportedly said that a military attack on Taiwan could amount to a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, hinting at a potential response involving the Japanese Self-Defence Forces.
In a letter addressed to the UN chief, Kazuyuki wrote, "I note that the Permanent Representative of China recently sent a letter regarding Japan, addressed to your Excellency, which was subsequently circulated to the Permanent Missions of all United Nations Member States. The assertions made by China in the letter appear to be inconsistent with the facts and unsubstantiated, prompting me to respectfully submit the present letter in response based on the instruction from the Japanese Government."
"As you are well aware, Japan has consistently contributed to the peace and prosperity of the international community since the end of the Second World War. Japan has always respected and adhered to international law, including the UN Charter, and has actively contributed to maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order underpinned by the rule of law in the global community," he added.
Expressing concern, the Japanese envoy noted that certain countries in the contemporary world are engaged in the prolonged expansion of military capabilities without any transparency.
He added that there are nations that continue to attempt unilateral changes to the status quo through force or coercion, despite opposition from neighbouring countries.
"Japan opposes such moves and distances itself from them. Japan's fundamental defence policy is the posture of passive defence strategy, which is exclusively defence-oriented, contrary to the Chinese side's claims," the letter stated
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