Japan will suffer a “crushing defeat“ from Chinese armed forces if it tries to use force to intervene in Taiwan, China's Defense Ministry said on Monday, amid escalating rhetoric over comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the island, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Takaichi sparked a diplomatic row with Beijing with comments to parliament last week when he said a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose a “survival threat“ and trigger a military response from Tokyo.
The top Chinese diplomat in Osaka told “Ex“ media coverage of Takaichi's comments and commented that "the dirty neck that stretches out must be cut off", which prompted a protest from the Japanese embassy in Beijing.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said today that Takaichi's words were extremely irresponsible and dangerous.
"If the Japanese side does not learn from history and dares to take risks or even use force to interfere in the Taiwan issue, it can only suffer a crushing defeat from the People's Liberation Army, which has a will of steel, and pay a heavy price," Jiang said.
Chinese state media also weighed in on the issue with a series of sharp editorials and commentaries criticizing Takaichi. Chinese society is extremely sensitive about any issues related to Taiwan, especially against the backdrop of negative feelings associated with Japan's military history, Reuters notes.
The “People's Daily“ of the Chinese Communist Party earlier today commented that Takaichi's comments were by no means an "isolated political tirade".
The Japanese right is trying to free itself from the constraints of the constitution adopted after the end of World War II and is seeking to secure the country's status as a military power, the newspaper also said.
“In recent years, Japan has been rapidly strengthening itself on the path of military power accumulation“, the newspaper commented.
“From frequent visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, to denial of the Nanjing Massacre, to vigorous dissemination of the “China Threat Theory“, Takaichi's every step follows the old traces of historical guilt, trying to cover up the history of aggression and revive militarism“, it added the newspaper.
World War II and the Japanese invasion of China, which began in 1931, remain a source of tension between Beijing and Tokyo, Reuters points out.
Japan's NTV television reported today that the Chinese embassy in Tokyo has instructed its staff to avoid going out due to concerns about increasing anti-Chinese sentiment in the country.
Meanwhile, at a regular press conference, Japan's main government spokesman Minoru Kihara reiterated Japan's official position on Taiwan, telling reporters that Tokyo hopes for a peaceful resolution of the issue through dialogue.