China has escalated its dispute with Japan over Taiwan to the United Nations, accusing Tokyo of threatening armed intervention and vowing to defend itself in the sharpest terms yet in the two-week-old row. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks linking a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan to Japan's survival have sparked backlash, including economic measures from Beijing.
On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers that a Chinese attack on Taiwan, located just over 100 km from Japanese territory, could constitute a 'situation threatening Japan's survival,' allowing deployment of the nation's military. In response, China's U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong wrote a letter on Friday to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing Takaichi of a 'grave violation of international law' and diplomatic norms.
'If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression,' Fu stated, according to China's U.N. mission. 'China will resolutely exercise its right of self-defense under the U.N. Charter and international law and firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning added that 'the international community should focus more on understanding Japan's true intentions and whether Japan can still adhere to the path of peaceful development.'
The dispute has intensified through China's 'wolf warrior' diplomacy, with aggressive social media posts from diplomats. A deleted X post by the consul general in Osaka referenced cutting off a 'dirty neck,' while embassies in Manila and Indonesia shared caricatures of Takaichi as a witch and invoked wartime atrocities. Beijing has retaliated with travel warnings to Japan, bans on Japanese seafood imports, and cancellations of Japanese musicians' concerts.
Japan's Foreign Ministry rebutted China's claims of a 'surge in crime' against Chinese nationals, citing National Police Agency data showing murders at 15 in both 2023 and 2024, and no increase in robberies or arsons. Takaichi, departing for the G20 summit in South Africa, rejected demands to retract her remarks, stating there is 'no change' in Tokyo's stance on responding to a regional crisis. Japan is avoiding tit-for-tat measures and plans to coordinate more closely with U.S. allies if tensions escalate.
Beijing regards Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out force, basing claims on the postwar Potsdam and Cairo declarations. Taiwan's government rejects these, asserting that only its people can decide its future. The row marks the biggest bilateral crisis in years, severely damaging trade cooperation.
