China said on Monday that the erroneous Taiwan-related remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seriously violate the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and fundamentally undermine the political foundation of China-Japan relations.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a routine press briefing in Beijing in response to a question regarding some Japanese politicians’ comments that China had “overreacted” to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan-related remarks.
The four China-Japan political documents—the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement in 1972, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between China and Japan in 1978, the China-Japan Joint Declaration on Building a Partnership of Friendship and Cooperation for Peace and Development in 1998, and the China-Japan Joint Statement on All-round Promotion of Strategic Relationship of Mutual Benefit in 2008—outline clear provisions on Taiwan-related issues.
These provisions represent solemn commitments undertaken by the Japanese government, possess legal force under international law and leave no room for ambiguity or distortion, Mao stressed.
“We urge the Japanese side to adopt a responsible attitude toward history and bilateral relations, stop challenging the red line and playing with fire, retract its erroneous words and actions, and earnestly translate its commitments to China into concrete deeds,” said Mao. (PD/GSF)
