China staged massive live-fire military drills all around Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday, drawing criticism from multiple countries and prompting an official response from Japan, which said the drills have heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
In a statement released Jan. 1, the Japanese government said it had conveyed its concerns to Beijing, warning that the exercises increase tensions in the region.
Toshihiro Kitamura, a press secretary for Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outlined Tokyo’s position in a three-point statement published on the ministry’s website.
“The recent military exercises conducted by the Chinese military around Taiwan constitute actions that increase tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and the Government of Japan has conveyed its concerns to the Chinese side,” Kitamura said….
Japan Raises Concerns After China Conducts Live-Fire Drills Around Taiwan
