Beijing Furious at Japanese PM’s Statement, Threatens 'Unbearable Consequences'

Beijing, China: Conditions in East Asia have been unusually hot for the past few days. Tensions between China and Japan have been rising, and now the PLA (Chinese military) has issued a direct warning to Japan that if it continues to take the “wrong line,” it will face irreparable consequences. This anger of China is directly related to the statement of the new Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, in which she said that “a crisis in Taiwan means a crisis in Japan.” His statement has deeply troubled Beijing.

Is Japan's new policy responsible for China's warnings?

The Japanese Prime Minister had indicated that in the event of any attack on Taiwan, Japan could play an active role militarily as part of collective self-defense. This statement is like crossing the red line for China. China says that Japan is trying to "externally interfere" on the Taiwan issue, which it will not allow under any circumstances.

Is China just making statements, or has it also taken concrete steps?

China has taken many aggressive steps in the last three days. First, China's Deputy Foreign Minister summoned the Japanese Ambassador to Beijing. After this, the Chinese Foreign Ministry raised three tough questions on Japan's military activities. The Chinese Defense Ministry then issued a direct threat that any intervention in Taiwan would force Japan to pay an “unbearable price.”

Is China's government media also making the atmosphere more tense?

Chinese media is continuously active in making this controversy more aggressive. Articles are appearing one after another on big government platforms like Global Times and CCTV, warning of disastrous consequences for Japan. One editorial wrote that Japan should not take China's stern warning lightly, while another article said that no outside power would be allowed to interfere in Taiwan.

How tough has China's military stance become?

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has officially said that if Japan makes any "adventure" on the Taiwan issue, it will be repulsed in the same way as it was during World War II. The Chinese army claims that it now has both “steel edge and unshakable resolve.”