China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, formally contacted UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, November 22, 2025, to present Beijing’s official opposition to recent statements made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan. The communication, which details the Chinese perception of Tokyo’s provocative shift on cross-Strait relations, is slated for circulation as an official document to all UN member states, underscoring the growing diplomatic friction between Asia’s major powers over the status of Taiwan.
Beijing Details Alleged Shift in Japan’s Military Stance
In his missive, Ambassador Fu asserted that Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments, made during a session of Japan’s Diet, represent an alarmingly unprecedented and dangerous policy change since the end of World War II. Specifically, Takaichi suggested that a “contingency in Taiwan” would automatically constitute a “contingency for Japan,” thus potentially triggering the nation’s right to collective self-defense.
Beijing views Takaichi’s remarks as the first time a Japanese leader has explicitly signaled intent toward military intervention in the Taiwan question, essentially issuing a threat of force against the People’s Republic of China and challenging what the nation considers its core sovereignty interests. Fu called the assertions “gravely erroneous and extremely dangerous,” noting that China has lodged multiple official protests that Tokyo has refused to acknowledge or retract.
Fu stressed that these comments violate international law, undermine the post-war international order, and constitute “an open provocation” to both China’s 1.4 billion citizens and other Asian populations who endured Japanese military aggression.
China Reaffirms ‘Internal Matter’ Stance
The official Chinese position, reiterated in the letter, maintains that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that the issue’s resolution is strictly an internal affair, immune to external interference. Fu warned that any armed intervention by Japan in cross-Strait affairs would be deemed an act of aggression, compelling China to exercise its inherent right to self-defense under the UN Charter to protect its national territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Fu urged Japan, as a defeated power from World War II, to reflect on its historical record, honor previous political commitments regarding Taiwan, and immediately cease what Beijing perceives as dangerous provocations.
Domestic Uproar and Economic Concern Follow Remarks
The controversy triggered immediate and vocal protest within Japan. On Friday evening, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, urging Takaichi to withdraw her statements and resign. Protesters, concerned about the potential revival of Japanese militarism, carried placards calling for peace and diplomacy.
The initial contentious comments, made during a November 7 Diet session, contended that any military action by Mainland China against Taiwan could be classified as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. Despite the domestic backlash, Takaichi maintained that her statements align with long-standing government policy and refused to retract them.
Mizuho Fukushima, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, joined the rally, arguing that the prime minister’s hardline stance pushes Japan toward conflict, making it “unacceptable.”
Legal and political analysts have pointed out that Takaichi’s declaration appears to contradict established commitments made in the 1972 Japan–China Joint Communiqué and risks unnecessarily escalating tensions in the East Asian region. Furthermore, some protestors voiced concerns about the immediate economic consequences, citing a drop in Chinese tourist numbers and potential diplomatic fallout affecting trade.
The formal submission of China’s protest to the UN General Assembly elevates the bilateral dispute to a critical global platform, raising international awareness regarding the volatile nature of the Taiwan Strait issue and the escalating rhetoric between Tokyo and Beijing.