BEIJING, (Xinhua): Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday slammed certain Japanese politicians for their statements on the Taiwan region following Taiwan’s leader Lai Ching-te’s failed attempt to visit Eswatini.
According to media reports, some Japanese politicians convened a meeting at the Diet and planned to submit a statement to the Japanese government after secessionist-minded Lai Ching-te’s trip to Eswatini, Taiwan’s only so-called “diplomatic ally” in Africa, was canceled as several African countries denied his plane overflight rights. The statement pointed out that the diplomatic independence of any country shall not be undermined by any coercion. It also demands that the Japanese government play a positive role in protecting the free environment of exchanges between Taiwanese people and their so-called democratic partners.
When asked to comment on a related query at a regular press briefing, Lin said that there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The one-China principle is a prevailing consensus of the international community, he pointed out.
Lin said that China highly commends relevant countries’ concrete actions in upholding the one-China principle and opposing “Taiwan independence” separatist activities, which are fully consistent with international law and basic norms governing international relations.
The Japanese side must not forget that the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement states that “The Government of Japan recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, Lin said. The Government of the People’s Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China. The Government of Japan fully understands and respects this stand of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation.”
The 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between China and Japan, ratified by the two countries’ legislatures, affirmed that the principles set out in the 1972 Joint Statement should be strictly observed. Since the two countries normalized relations, the Japanese government has stated on many occasions that the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair, Lin added.
“These are legal obligations Japan must fulfill and political commitments it must honor,” he said.
As to issues related to foreign policy independence, democracy and human rights, many people with insight in Japan are reflecting on Japan’s domestic and foreign policies, Lin pointed out, adding that there are also many discussions on “comfort women,” forced war labor, and other issues left from history, as well as indigenous peoples and minority rights in Japan.
“Yet some politicians in Japan either keep silent and play deaf to those issues or point fingers on Taiwan which is inherently part of China. Guess they are the only ones who know what its hidden objective is,” said the spokesperson.
