Q: It was reported that Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party and former Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso has visited Taiwan, where he met with Tsai Ing-wen, William Lai and others and delivered a speech saying that there should be no war in the region, including the Taiwan Strait, and calling for a posture of strong deterrence and “a readiness to fight”. What is your comment?

A: Despite China’s strong opposition, certain Japanese politician visited China’s Taiwan region and made irresponsible remarks that sought to hype up cross-Strait tensions, stoke antagonism and confrontation, and blatantly interfere in China’s internal affairs. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and tramples on the basic norms governing international relations. China has made serious démarches to Japan and strongly condemns this.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair that brooks no external interference. For half a century, Japan exercised colonial rule over Taiwan, brutally suppressed its people’s resistance and committed atrocious crimes. As a country responsible for the historical crimes it committed against China, Japan needs to all the more draw lessons from history and act prudently. The Japanese politician, however, kept raising the possibility of “a war” whilst in Taiwan—an obvious attempt to stir up trouble in the Taiwan Strait and push the people in the Taiwan region over the edge of an abyss. Today’s China is no longer what it was when the Qing government signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. What makes this Japanese politician think he is in a position or has the confidence to make such unwarranted remarks on Taiwan? 

I want to stress that the complete reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation and an unstoppable historical trend. No one shall underestimate the strong resolve, will and capability of the Chinese people to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We seriously urge Japan to deeply reflect on its history of aggression, abide by the one-China principle and its commitments regarding the Taiwan question, and stop meddling in China’s internal affair and lending support to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces in any form. We also have a clear message for the Taiwan authorities: “Taiwan independence” has no future, soliciting Japan’s support and selling Taiwan away will only harm the people in Taiwan, and any attempt to collude with external forces in seeking independence and provocations will only fail.