Tokyo, Nov 25 Japan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yamazaki Kazuyuki, has written 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
“Japan also defines, through domestic law, situations in which the right of collective self-defence recognised under the UN Charter can be exercised, in a restrictive manner. The remarks by the Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takachi, as referred to by the Chinese side, are also grounded in this position. Therefore, China’s assertion that Japan would exercise the right of self-defence even in the absence of an armed attack is erroneous,” it added.
Additionally, according to a report by Japan’s media outlet Kyodo News, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi met Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
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