Flags of China and Japan. Yonhap News Agency, Reuters

China warned that Japan's intervention in the Taiwan Strait situation would constitute an act of aggression, and that China would exercise its right to self-defense, in response to remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi implying intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

According to Reuters and China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 22nd, Fu Cong, China's envoy to the UN, stated this in a letter sent to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the 21st (local time), explaining the Chinese government's position on Takaichi's remarks and urging their withdrawal.

In the letter, Fu Cong asserted that Takaichi's remarks were "the first time Japan has revealed its ambition to militarily intervene in the Taiwan issue, and the first instance of openly challenging China's core interests and threatening China with force," adding that "such remarks are extremely wrong, dangerous, and extremely malicious in their nature and impact."

He further emphasized, "If Japan dares to attempt military intervention in the Taiwan Strait situation, it will be an act of aggression. China will resolutely exercise its right to self-defense in accordance with the UN Charter and international law to firmly safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Xinhua News Agency reported that the letter would be distributed to all member states as an official document of the UN General Assembly.

Ambassador Fu's remarks are interpreted as meaning that if Japan exercises its right of collective self-defense on the grounds of a Taiwan contingency, China will respond with force.

Reuters reported that China has "vowed to defend itself in the strongest terms" in the dispute with Japan that has been ongoing for the past two weeks.

Chinese Embassies in Japan and the Philippines have also stated their stance that they will militarily counter any Japanese military intervention related to Taiwan.

According to Kyodo News, the Chinese Embassy in Japan posted on its X (formerly Twitter) account on the 21st, stating, "The UN Charter has an 'enemy state clause'," and that "if fascist and militarist countries such as Germany, Italy, and Japan take any action towards aggressive policies again, the founding members of the UN, including China, France, and the United States, reserve the right to take direct military action without Security Council approval."

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines posted a cartoon on X depicting Takaichi burning the constitution of peace and reviving militarism, emphasizing that "Takaichi has hinted at the possibility of military intervention in the Taiwan Strait with reckless remarks," and that China will "definitely counterattack" in such a case.

Chinese state-run media have also escalated their offensive rhetoric, mentioning the "risk of war."

In a "Zhong Sheng" commentary that expresses its stance on major international issues, the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, argued that "Takaichi's wrong words and deeds, which disregard the country's future and world peace and stability for the sake of her own political self-interest, are dragging Japan into a dangerous situation where 'he who loves war will surely perish' (好戰必亡)."

The newspaper further stated that Takaichi is "exaggerating the so-called 'crisis of survival' to find an excuse to practically lift military restrictions and promote constitutional revision and military expansion," warning that "such dangerous trends are a serious challenge to the post-war international order and will once again put the Japanese people at risk of war."

Yonhap News Agency