Tokyo on Wednesday (December 25) expressed once again its “serious concern” over Beijing’s increasing military activities during Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono’s visit to China.
According to a statement from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kono told Wang Yi, “Japan is closely monitoring the situation in Taiwan as well as recent military developments.”
The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. However, the CCP has never ruled Taiwan in history.
Earlier this month, Taiwan stated that Beijing conducted its largest maritime exercise near the Taiwan Strait in years, extending from the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea.
Japan’s statement said Kono expressed “serious concern” over the East China Sea situation, including the situation around the Senkaku Islands, as well as Beijing’s increasing military activities.
The Senkaku Islands are a group of uninhabited islands administered by Japan. However, Beijing claims sovereignty over the Senkakus.
Japan’s Foreign Minister also expressed concerns about “unilateral resource development by the Chinese side.”
Prior to his visit to China, Kono was interviewed by Phoenix Television, a Chinese state media, in Tokyo. When asked about the domestic discourse that “what happens in Taiwan is a matter for Japan,” he stated that Taiwan is an important and historically connected friend to Japan.
He personally dislikes the notion of “issues in Taiwan” because Taiwan should remain peaceful.
He mentioned that “issues” often involve changing the status quo by force, a situation that should never occur. Additionally, Kono reiterated that the Japan-Taiwan relationship is informal and pragmatic.
The statement noted that the bilateral talks and the working lunch between Kono and Wang Yi lasted for three hours. Both sides agreed to “arrange for Wang Yi to visit Japan as early as possible next year” and hold “high-level economic dialogues.”
The statement also mentioned Japan’s request for China to release Japanese citizens detained unfairly. Kono pointed out that “the detention of Japanese citizens (in China) and the lack of transparency regarding the National Security Law have made Japanese people hesitate to visit China. He urged China to increase transparency and promptly release detained Japanese nationals.”