Takaichi declines to withdraw remark over Taiwan contingency

"I remarked in line with the government's conventional position, so I will not retract it," she told a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament. She was responding to a question from Hiroshi Ogushi of the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

At a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Friday, Takaichi said that a contingency over Taiwan could constitute a survival-threatening situation in which Japan could exercise its right to collective self-defence.

A survival-threatening situation refers to a situation in which an armed attack occurs against a foreign country that has a close relationship with Japan, threatening Japan's survival and posing a clear danger of fundamentally overturning the people's right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Past prime ministers avoided stating clearly whether this could apply to such a contingency over Taiwan, as China has defined issues linked to the region as central to its critical interests. Ogushi urged Takaichi, who took office last month, to withdraw her remark, noting that past prime ministers had avoided making such a comment.

In response, Takaichi said, "I made the remark assuming the worst-case scenario," adding, "I would make a decision (on whether a Taiwan crisis constituted a survival-threatening situation) by comprehensively taking into account the specific circumstances once an event occurs."

Meanwhile, Takaichi said it was "difficult to assume" that she would dissolve the lower chamber and hold a general election for the house over the issue of reducing the number of seats in the chamber, in her answer to questions from CDP lawmaker Masato Imai.

She indicated it would not be appropriate to conduct an election with such a reduction as an issue of contention, after Fumitake Fujita, co-leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's new coalition partner, mentioned a possible dissolution of the house.

On her plan to review the government's policy of pursuing a single fiscal year target for achieving a surplus in Japan's primary budget balance, Takaichi said she would issue related instructions in January 2026 during work to compile new guidelines on the government's economic and fiscal policy management. She was responding to the CDP's Sumio Mabuchi.

In her replies to questions from CDP lawmaker Hiroshi Kawauchi, the prime minister said she had received letters from the widow of a Finance Ministry official who committed suicide over a scandal involving document falsifications at the ministry. "I have accepted what the bereaved family feels," Takaichi said.

She added, "I ordered that as much as possible be done to respond" to demands from the widow for the early disclosure of related documents, such as emails from senior officials at the ministry.

Nippon Ishin Secretary-General Hiroshi Nakatsuka questioned Takaichi about her recognition of history. "I will inherit the positions taken by past administrations as a whole," she replied.

Japan Lodges Protest with China over Online Posts by Consul

The Japanese government said Monday that it has lodged a protest with Beijing over social media posts by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka that criticised Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her remark on Taiwan.

"We can't help but say that the posts were extremely inappropriate coming from the head of a Chinese foreign mission," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a news conference. "We'll ask the Chinese side for a clear explanation."

In a parliamentary committee meeting on Friday, Takaichi said that a possible Taiwan contingency could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to exercise its right to collective self-defence.

In response, Consul-General Xue Jian said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that viewing a Taiwan contingency as a Japanese contingency was "a path of death that only some stupid politicians in Japan would choose."

"Without a moment of hesitation, we just need to chop off their dirty heads," he went on.

At a news conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian expressed China's strong dissatisfaction with Takaichi's remark. He stated that Beijing had protested to the Japanese side, claiming that Takaichi had interfered in China's internal affairs.

Lin noted that the remark did not align with the One China principle or the Japanese government's previous political commitments.

He also said that Takaichi met with a representative of Taiwan at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meeting in South Korea earlier this month and that the Japanese side has recently been making statements and taking actions that are negative on the Taiwan issue.

The spokesman urged Japan not to provoke China or send misleading signals to the Taiwan independence forces.

Lin defended Xue, stating that his online comments were made in response to dangerous speech. He called for an investigation and response from Japan, citing radical and threatening posts directed at Xue on social media.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]