TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese diplomat on Saturday threatened to behead Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae after she said an attack by China on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, per Asahi Shimbun.
On Friday, Takaichi said Chinese military actions against Taiwan, such as a naval blockade, would likely qualify as a “situation threatening Japan’s survival,” compelling Japan to take action. Xue Jian, China’s consul general in Osaka, responded on X with a post saying, “The filthy head that recklessly sticks itself in must be cut off without a moment’s hesitation,” per Asahi Shimbun.
The post included a news report about Takaichi’s comments on contingency plans in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Takaichi is the first sitting Japanese prime minister to cite an invasion of Taiwan as a justification for the use of force.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru said Monday that although the intent was uncertain, the comments were “highly inappropriate” for a Chinese diplomatic mission head. He added that Japan’s foreign ministry and embassy in China filed a protest with Beijing on Sunday calling for the post’s immediate retraction. By that evening, it was no longer visible.
US Ambassador to Japan George Glass reposted a screenshot of Xue’s post on Monday and criticized him, saying, “The mask slips—again. Just a few months ago, (Xue) compared Israel with Nazi Germany. Now, he threatens Prime Minister (Takaichi) and the Japanese people. Time for Beijing to behave like the ‘good neighbor’ it talks repeatedly about—but fails repeatedly to become.”
China’s ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, also weighed in Monday, saying, “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, and the resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people themselves.” He added, “Inciting the notion that ‘a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency,’ and trying to tie Japan to the chariot of splitting China, will ultimately lead to a dead end.”
