Taiwan is not a country, China warns Japan

China on Thursday said it has lodged stern protests and warned Japan after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga made a rare reference to Taiwan as a country during a parliamentary meeting a day before. Suga had referred to Taiwan as a country during a meeting of Japan’s National Diet, the country’s bicameral legislature on Wednesday. Discussing Covid-19 pandemic prevention strategies adapted abroad, Suga listed Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan as nations that had “adopted strong restrictions on private rights”, reports from Tokyo said.

China accused Japan of severely breaching its pledge not to refer self-ruled Taiwan as a country, which Beijing sees as a breakaway region to be reunited, if required, by force.  Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said this seriously violated the principles of the four political documents including a Sino-Japanese joint statement, Wang said, adding Suga’s remarks severely breached Japan’s promise on not regarding Taiwan as a country. Wang called on the Japanese side to make a clear clarification and make sure this kind of incident never happens again.