Japanese envoy terms China’s criticism of PM Takaichi ‘inconsistent with facts, unsubstantiated’
New York, Dec 5 (IANS) Japan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yamazaki Kazuyuki, has written a letter to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, where he termed China’s criticism about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan “inconsistent with the facts and unsubstantiated and unacceptable.”
In response to China’s letter delivered to UN Secretary General, Yamazaki Kazuyuki stated, “As with China’s previous letter dated 21 November, the assertions contained therein are inconsistent with the facts, unsubstantiated, and are categorically unacceptable. Japan’s position is as set out in my letter of 24 November addressed to your Excellency and attached hereto. Nevertheless, based on the instruction from the Japanese Government, I wish to share once again Japan’s views with your Excellency.”
“Since the end of the Second World War, Japan has consistently respected and adhered to international law, including the UN Charter, and has actively contributed to maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order underpinned by the rule of law, as well as to the sustainable development of the international community. This unwavering posture of Japan is well recognized across the international community. Japan will continue, as a peace-loving nation, to contribute to international peace, stability, and prosperity, in full accordance with international law,” he added.
He stated that Japan believes that differences of opinions should be addressed through dialogue and expressed Tokyo’s willingness to respond through dialogue. Yamazaki Kazuyuki’s letter to the UN came as China has been criticising Takaichi for her statement in parliament on November 7, where she said that an attack on Taiwan could constitute an existential threat to Japan and warrant a response by its Self-Defence Forces, Japan’s leading news agency Kyodo News reported.
Yamazaki Kazuyuki latest letter to UN came after China’s Permanent Representative to the UN Fu Cong wrote a second letter to Guterres, warning that “the international community must remain highly vigilant against Japan’s ambitions to expand its military capabilities and revive militarism.”
China considers Taiwan as part of its territory and insists of its reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary. In recent years, China has increased military activity around the self-ruled democratic island, sparking concern about regional stability.
In his first rebuttal letter to Guterres on November 24, Yamazaki Kazuyuki stated, “Japan’s fundamental defense policy is the posture of passive defence strategy, which is exclusively defence-oriented, contrary to the Chinese side’s claims. Japan also defines, through domestic law, situations in which the right of collective self- defence recognized under the UN Charter can be exercised, in a restrictive manner. The remarks by the Prime Minister of Japan TAKAICHI Sanae, as referred by the Chinese side, are also grounded in this position. Therefore, China’s assertion that Japan would exercise the right of self-defense even in the absence of an armed attack is erroneous.
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