Japan says ties with Taiwan are only unofficial in wake of Chinese protests over description of it as a country
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato says country’s basic policy has not changed and relations with the island are non-governmental
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga triggered strong protests from Beijing when he made a passing reference to Taiwan as a country during a parliamentary debate
Japan’s relations with Taiwan are non-governmental and practical and are based on Tokyo’s recognition of China as the sole legitimate government, a senior Japanese official said on Friday, following Beijing’s protest over the prime minister’s recent reference to the island as a country.
As China flexes its muscle in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region, the issue of Taiwan is a sensitive topic, especially as Japan, the United States and other democracies develop closer ties with the self-ruled island, which Beijing regards as a renegade territory to be united by force if necessary.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a regular news conference on Friday that “Japan’s position is to maintain working relations with Taiwan at the nongovernment level,” in line with the 1972 Japan-China Communique, when Tokyo switched the diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. “That’s our basic policy and there is no change to that.”
Suga was answering a question about pandemic measures on Wednesday and made a passing reference to Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia as “three countries”.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the comment violated Japan’s “solemn promise to not regard Taiwan as a country”.