China fury over Japan ‘security dialogue’ with Taiwan

August 27, 2021

BEIJING -- China today expressed strong opposition to the first-ever round of security talks between the ruling parties of Japan and Taiwan, lodging a formal protest  with Japan. China's Global Times newspaper, which reflects official views, quoted "mainland experts" as warning Japan that "such attempts of self-comfort and catering to the US' Indo-Pacific strategy to contain the mainland may provoke a strong backlash from Beijing".  

The newspaper said Taiwan media has reported that Japanese politicians had accused the Chinese mainland of "unilaterally changing the regional status quo," which not only "affects the security of the Taiwan Straits, but also Japan's security".

It also quoted the Japan Times has having reported Tsai Shih-ying, a DPP representative of Taiwan participating in  dialogue, as saying that military exchanges, like Coast Guard cooperation, were discussed, but that more details could not be disclosed due to "sensitivity". 
The Global Times quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, as saying that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China's territory, and that China had lodged "solemn representations" with Japan, noting that China firmly opposed any form of official exchange between China's diplomatic countries and the island of Taiwan. 
"The Taiwan question bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations," Zhao was quoted as saying.

"Japan bears historical responsibility to the Chinese people on the Taiwan question, and needs to be cautious in its words and actions. We solemnly urge Japan to stop interfering in China's internal affairs and not send wrong signals to Taiwan secessionists."  

The Global Times quoted a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Japan as saying that China opposed any form of official exchange between countries with diplomatic ties with Taiwan, adding that "no-one should underestimate the Chinese people's determination and ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity".
China urged Japan to abide by the spirit of four political documents between China and Japan, fulfill its promises on the Taiwan question, stop harming China's sovereignty, security and development interests in any form, and avoid further damage to bilateral relations, the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
"Besides the de facto official dialogue under the cover of a party exchange, in 2021 the Suga government's ties with the DPP became more blatant," the report said. 
"When Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited the US in April, he raised in a joint statement with US President Joe Biden the "importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits".

"In its annual defence white paper released in July, Japan said that stability in the Taiwan Straits is "more important than ever," and is threatened by "increasing military pressure" from the Chinese mainland." 

Global Times quoted Zhang Wensheng, a deputy dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, as saying Japan was "a defeated country that invaded China in World War II (and) will suffer massive retaliation from the Chinese mainland once it intervenes in cross-Straits affairs militarily.  
"The Chinese mainland would not only charge up for reality, but also for history," Zhang was quoted as saying. 
"Japan's provocation will only promote the mainland's military preparations in the East China Sea and Taiwan Straits . . . with the mainland's ability to break through the First Island Chain becoming increasingly stronger, Japan and the DPP can do almost nothing to block the mainland," the report continued.  (ATI).