TOKYO (Realist English). Japan has filed a formal protest with China after Beijing’s Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, posted a comment on social media that Tokyo described as “extremely inappropriate” and “threatening” toward Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, following her remarks on Taiwan’s security.
The controversy erupted after Takaichi told parliament last week that a Chinese attack on Taiwan—which lies just over 100 km from Japanese territory—could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival,” a legal condition allowing the deployment of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces in defense of allies.
In response, Xue shared an article on X (formerly Twitter) with the comment: “The dirty head that sticks itself in must be cut off.” The post, later deleted, drew condemnation in Tokyo and Washington.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo had repeatedly urged Beijing to act, citing “multiple inappropriate statements” by the diplomat. Beijing, however, defended the post as a “personal response” to what it called Takaichi’s “wrongful and dangerous” remarks.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday that Japan should “take a hard look at its historical responsibilities,” while Taiwan’s presidential office condemned the diplomat’s words as a violation of “basic diplomatic norms.”
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass also weighed in, writing that Xue’s post “threatened Takaichi and the Japanese people” and showed that “the mask slips—again.”
Takaichi, who took office less than a month ago, has angered Beijing with a tougher security stance and a recent meeting with a Taiwanese representative at a summit in Seoul. Despite this, she also met President Xi Jinping during the same trip, where both leaders agreed to pursue “constructive and stable ties.”
Seeking to cool tensions, Takaichi said on Monday that her earlier remarks about Taiwan were “hypothetical” and that she would refrain from making similar statements in parliament.
The diplomatic dispute underscores growing strain in Japan–China relations as Tokyo accelerates its defense buildup alongside the United States to deter Beijing’s military ambitions in the region.
