The diplomatic crisis over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan shows no sign of easing after two weeks, with mainland Chinese commentators predicting Beijing will continue to push for a retraction.
However, that demand appears unlikely to be met in the short term, and one diplomatic analyst warned that the pressure tactics should aim to avoid a nationalist backlash within Japan and win support for Beijing’s position.
The Chinese foreign ministry and state media stepped up the pressure on Wednesday, demanding a clear declaration of Tokyo’s stance on the one-China principle.
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It was in response to Takaichi’s suggestion earlier this month that Japan could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. It was the first time a sitting Japanese leader had spoken so explicitly about how the country might react in such a situation.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited with the mainland – by force if necessary.
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Most countries, including Japan and its main ally the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.