Chinese state-affiliated media has significantly ramped up its public condemnation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, following her recent statements regarding a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Through highly visual and polemical content disseminated online, the military-backed outlet China Military Bugle is accusing Takaichi of abandoning Japan’s post-war pacifist principles, echoing official diplomatic objections from Beijing, which views her comments as a grave provocation and interference in internal Chinese affairs.
The public feud, escalating in mid-November 2025, centers on Takaichi’s parliamentary remarks suggesting that a Taiwan contingency could be deemed a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. Such a declaration could potentially trigger Japan’s invocation of “collective self-defense,” a legal mechanism allowing military action to protect close allies even if Japan itself is not under direct attack.
Escalation of Media Attacks
The campaign by China Military Bugle has been characterized by sharp, often symbolic, visual propaganda distributed primarily on platforms like X. These graphics and animations aim to portray Takaichi as dangerously militaristic and reckless.
Key Visual Components of the Campaign:
- Reviving Militarism: An image posted early on November 21st explicitly accused the Japanese leader of attempting to revive Japanese militarism, a highly sensitive historical accusation in East Asia.
- The Pacifist Constitution: A cartoon shared on November 19th depicted Takaichi appearing to set fire to Japan’s internationally recognized pacifist constitution (Article 9), with a menacing shadow symbolizing pre-war wartime militarism standing behind her.
- Incendiary Caricatures: A seven-second bilingual animation, titled “Those Who Play with Fire Will Eventually Get Burned,” featured a caricature of Takaichi on an Imperial-era warship. The clip showed her holding a bomb before she inadvertently ignited herself and fell into the water, visually representing self-destruction through aggressive policies. Another illustration placed her inside a Japanese munitions depot, seemingly toying with explosives.
Diplomatic Reprimands
These media attacks coincided with formal diplomatic disapproval from top Chinese representatives. Citing comments made by China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, the Chinese outlet highlighted Beijing’s official position.
Speaking during a UN General Assembly session on Security Council reform, Ambassador Fu categorized Takaichi’s remarks as “egregiously wrong and dangerously provocative.” He argued that her stance constitutes a “crude interference” in China’s internal matters, directly contravenes the “one-China principle,” and violates the fundamental spirit of the four political documents governing Sino-Japanese bilateral relations.
Furthermore, Fu asserted that Takaichi’s position—which he claims runs contrary to Japan’s stated post-war commitment to peace—undermines Tokyo’s credibility to seek a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a long-standing Japanese foreign policy goal.
Implications for Regional Stability
The synchronized use of aggressive state media rhetoric and high-level diplomatic censure underscores Beijing’s zero-tolerance policy toward any international suggestion of interference over Taiwan. For Japan, the statements reflect an increasingly robust debate over national security and the interpretation of its self-defense capabilities in the context of rising regional tensions. This coordinated pushback suggests that Beijing is prepared to significantly escalate rhetorical and propaganda efforts against allied nations perceived as challenging its core territorial claims, adding another layer of complexity to the already strained relationship between China and Japan.