China, Japan hold talks to tone down tensions over PM Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan

Officials from China and Japan on Tuesday (November 18, 2025) held talks in Beijing to tone down tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on Taiwan, which led to a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties.

Liu Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, held consultations with Kanai Masaaki, Director-General of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told the media.

During the talks, China urged Japan to withdraw its wrongful remarks and stop creating trouble on China-related issues, she said. The Japanese side must immediately withdraw its wrongful remarks, deeply reflect on itself and correct mistakes, and give the Chinese people a clear account, Ms. Mao said.

Referring to reports that Japan plans to modify the ranks of its Self-Defence Forces and revert to use then Imperial Japanese Army rank titles, Ms. Mao said China will never allow the resurgence of Japanese militarism, nor will China allow anyone to challenge the post-war international order and undermine global peace and stability ever again.

She dismissed Japanese protests of Chinese coast guard ships patrolling the disputed waters of the East China Sea, saying that patrolling in China’s territorial waters is lawful, justified, and beyond reproach.

China does not accept Japan’s unreasonable representations, and has rejected them on the spot, and has lodged representations countering it, she said.

The flare-up in their bilateral ties occurred after Ms. Takaichi, regarded as a China hawk, told a parliamentary committee on Nov 7 that a Chinese military attack on Taiwan could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which could exercise its right to collective self-defence.

Besides lodging diplomatic protests, China, which is the largest source of tourists to Japan with about 7.4 million trips this year, has asked its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, which resulted in a spate of cancellations of Chinese tourists.

Reports from Japan said that through their talks, Tokyo aims to calm the diplomatic spat that has begun to affect tourism, education and entertainment sectors between the two neighbouring countries.

China, which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland, has demanded Takaichi retract her remarks. Beijing maintains that the Taiwan issue is purely an “internal affair.” In talks with Mr. Liu, Mr. Kanai was expected to stress that Ms. Takaichi has not changed Japan’s position as stated in a 1972 joint communique, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported, quoting the government sources.

In the document, Tokyo recognised the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China, switching its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan.

Communist-led China and democratic Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 following a civil war.

Mr. Kanai was also likely to raise the issue of a social media post by Chinese Consul General Xue Jian in Osaka, who, in apparent anger over Ms. Takaichi’s remarks, threatened to “cut a dirty neck without a moment of hesitation.” In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tuesday Japan is “open to all kinds of dialogue” with China, according to the Kyodo report.

His comments came a day after the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Premier Li Qiang does not plan to meet with Takaichi in South Africa, where the two-day Group of 20 leaders’ summit is set to take place from Saturday.

Chinese media reported Monday on the postponement of two Japanese film releases in China, originally scheduled for later this week and early December.