Japanese PM's erroneous remarks on Taiwan continue to spark domestic outcry
2025-11-16 09:02:33 source：CGTN
November 15, 2025
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's provocative remarks on Taiwan last week have drawn heavy criticism from senior political figures, experts and the media at home.
At a Diet meeting last week, Takaichi claimed that the Japanese Self-Defense Force could exercise the right of collective self-defense if the Chinese mainland "uses military forces against Taiwan." Despite China's serious démarches and protests, she refused to retract her remarks that imply the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait.
Speaking on a radio program on TBS on Thursday, Japanese former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called Takaichi's comments "very close to claiming that a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency," adding that previous governments had consistently avoided making definitive declarations on how the government would respond to specific scenarios regarding the Taiwan question.
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