Japan’s First Woman Prime Minister Said Japan Could Respond If China Attacked Taiwan And Now The Two Countries Are Having A Huge Fight
Japanese Prime Minister said that if China were to use military force against Taiwan, it would be a “survival threatening situation” for Japan and require a military response.
Japan’s first woman prime minister said that Japan could respond if China attacked Taiwan and now the two countries are having a huge fight.
It all began on Nov. 7, when Japanese Prime Minister said that if China were to use military force against Taiwan, it would be a “survival threatening situation” for Japan and require a military response.
Japan has long maintained a policy of being strategically ambiguous on the issue of Taiwan and China, so her remarks sparked intense backlash from China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory.
The next day, the head of China’s consulate in Osaka responded to Takaichi’s comment, writing on X that “the filthy head that sticks itself in should be cut off”, sending shockwaves throughout Japan.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally responded on Nov. 14, saying that Takaichi’s remarks “grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs” and added that “Japan must stop playing with fire on the Taiwan question.”
The next day, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement warning Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, saying there had been several attacks on Chinese citizens in Japan, as well as “provocative” remarks by Japanese leaders regarding Taiwan.
Following this, several major Chinese airlines announced that it would allow free changes or refunds for flights to Japan.
Chinese diplomats met with Japanese officials on Nov. 17 and 18 to demand Japan withdraw its remarks about Taiwan but failed.
Things continued to escalate on Nov. 18, when China announced it was suspending all seafood imports from Japan.
The conflict even spilled over into entertainment, with Chinese film distributors suspending screenings of Japanese films.
Chinese organizers also canceled Japanese pop icon Hamasaki Ayumi’s concert in Shanghai the night before it was scheduled to take place.
Despite the cancellation, she still performed as planned, holding a “concert with no audience,” which quickly went viral online.
About a dozen Japanese artists also had their concerts in China abruptly canceled, with Chinese authorities warning Chinese venues that concerts with Japanese musicians may be canceled for the rest of 2025.
Meanwhile, in Japan, aespa, a popular K-pop group, started facing backlash over its Chinese member, with Japanese people calling on for aespa’s New Year’s Eve music event to be canceled.
As tensions kept rising, former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, who favors closer ties to China, criticized Takaichi as “reckless”.
Meanwhile, the current President Lai Ching-te, who favors independence, urged the international community to respect Japan’s politics.
On Nov. 23, China took its response to the next level, with China’s Foreign Minister saying that if Japan insisted on “going its own way,” the Chinese people had the right to “settle accounts for Japan’s historical crimes.”
However, Japan did not back down.
Japan’s Defense Minister visited Japanese military bases east of Taiwan the same day and confirmed that Japan intended to proceed with its plan to deploy missiles there.
On Nov. 24, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which Xi reiterated Beijing’s position on Taiwan, according to Chinese state media.
Trump later also spoke by phone with Takaichi, who said the two had reaffirmed the close cooperation between Japan and the US.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s prime minister said on Dec. 5 that Taiwan was “very moved” by Japan’s support and that many Taiwanese people are changing their travel plans and choosing to visit Japan.
He also invited Japanese performers and pop idols to perform in Taiwan instead and said that they would be warmly welcomed with a full house.
Kassy Cho
Isha Jain
Kassy Cho
