A fierce diplomatic row has erupted between China and Japan after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could warrant a military response from Tokyo. The remarks triggered retaliatory statements, inflammatory social-media posts from Chinese officials, and a rare summoning of ambassadors by both sides, deepening tensions between Asia’s two largest economies.

What the Japanese PM said

Addressing parliament on 7 November, Prime Minister Takaichi said that an armed assault on Taiwan could justify Japan deploying troops under the country’s “collective self-defence” framework.

“If an emergency in Taiwan entails battleships and the use of force, then that could constitute a situation threatening the survival (of Japan), any way you slice it,” she said

See Full Page