Will Tokyo expel Chinese ambassador for ‘outrageous’ remarks on Japan-Taiwan ties?

The Chinese ambassador said the ‘Japanese people will be dragged into the fire’ if they continue to support Taiwan’s independence
Japanese lawmaker Jin Matsubara urges a stronger response this time after the ambassador’s similar comments last year

Japan

Julian Ryall

Published: 5:51pm, 23 May 2024

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A Japanese politician has called on the government to expel Chinese ambassador Wu Jianghao for threatening that “Japanese people will be dragged into the fire” if they continue to support Taiwan’s independence.

Jin Matsubara, a former chairman of the National Public Safety Commission who is currently an independent member of the Diet, attended the inauguration of Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te on May 20.

He said in a written request to the government on Tuesday that the ambassador’s subsequent comments in response to that visit were “truly outrageous”.

During a roundtable discussion at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo on the day of the inauguration, Wu condemned the decision by around 30 Japanese politicians to travel to Taipei for the inauguration.

Taiwan leader William Lai Ching-te gives a speech at his inauguration ceremony on Monday in Taipei. Photo: TNS

Media reports quoted the ambassador as saying the visit showed that Japanese lawmakers were “openly siding with Taiwanese independence forces” and hinted at consequences for ordinary members of the public if Japan supported the division of mainland China.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

The ambassador’s comments were “highly inappropriate for an ambassador to Tokyo and we immediately lodged a strong protest”, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

Matsubara’s letter of inquiry, submitted to the speaker of the House of Representatives, pointed out that the ambassador made similar comments threatening the Japanese public on April 28 last year, and called for a stronger response from the Japanese government this time.

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Matsubara’s letter points out that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations grants Japan the right, “at any time and without giving reasons” to declare a diplomat persona non grata and require the sending state to recall the individual.

“To repeat the same remarks is extremely impolite and disrespectful to the Japanese government and the recipient country,” Matsubara wrote. “I believe that Ambassador Wu should be informed that he is persona non grata this time and expelled from Japan.”

The government is scheduled to provide a written reply to the request next Friday. Matsubara has also indicated that he intends to raise the issue with Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in a foreign affairs committee meeting that day.

The Japanese government however is not expected to go as far as expelling the ambassador amid fears of tit-for-tat action. The issue also comes ahead of scheduled bilateral and multilateral talks over the coming weeks.

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, is due to visit Tokyo this month to discuss the resumption of regular talks between the two governments for the first time since 2018. Similarly, political leaders representing Japan, China and South Korea are expected to meet in South Korea early next week to address issues of shared concern, the first such summit since 2019.