Published On 16/11/2025
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Last update: 21:05 (Mecca time)
A report published by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, by Inma Bonet, revealed escalating tensions between China and Japan due to Japanese statements about military intervention in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, which led to Chinese maneuvers with live ammunition and mutual warnings that raised the level of diplomatic tension between the two countries.
The writer said that the relationship between China and Japan has entered its most fragile stage in years, as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statements regarding the possibility of joint military intervention with Washington in the event of a Chinese aggression against Taiwan served as a spark that ignited the new escalation.
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Following that statement, tension jumped from the verbal level to the military level within just one week, as Beijing imposed a temporary ban on navigation in part of the Yellow Sea to carry out live ammunition maneuvers in the middle of the week.
A complex relationship
Although the maneuvers area is a great distance from Japan, their timing coincides with the intensification of the diplomatic crisis, adding an additional layer of crisis to the already complex bilateral relationship.
The direct reason for the outbreak of this confrontation dates back to the seventh of this month, when Takaichi stated before the Japanese Parliament that China’s use of military force in the Taiwan Strait could be classified as “a situation that threatens the survival of Japan.”
The writer emphasized that this scenario would authorize the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to intervene within the framework of collective defense with the United States, a comment that represents a clear abandonment of the “strategy of ambiguity” that Tokyo and Washington have also committed to for years regarding how to respond to any Chinese military move in the region.
The writer explained that the reaction was immediate and stormy on the popular level. Chinese social media erupted in anger, and Japan was explicitly accused of “provoking chaos.”
The new crisis between China and Japan erupted after Takaichi told the Japanese parliament that China’s use of military force in the Taiwan Strait could be classified as a “situation threatening Japan’s survival.”
Chinese anger
The dispute escalated shockingly when the Chinese consul in Osaka published an inflammatory message calling for the “beheading” of Takaichi and later deleted it, prompting Tokyo to demand an official apology.
On the 10th of this month, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman escalated his tone, strongly criticizing Takaichi’s words, describing them as “blatant interference in China’s internal affairs.”
Although Takaichi attempted to calm the situation on the same day by asserting that her comments were “hypothetical,” tensions continued to simmer throughout the week, with Chinese media linking her comments to “the resurgence of Japanese militarism.”
Chinese official anger reached its peak on Thursday, according to the writer, when Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned the Japanese ambassador to Beijing, Kenji Kanasugi, to express his deep dissatisfaction and rejection of Takaichi’s words, which were described as “extremely wrong” and “very dangerous,” stressing that they “deeply hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.”
Moves
The writer pointed out that the diplomatic conflict has actually extended to the civil sphere. On Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, justifying this by “the deterioration of the security environment.”
This step gains its importance from the fact that China is the main source of tourists to the Land of the Rising Sun. Statistics from the Japanese Ministry of Tourism recorded 7.48 million trips for Chinese travelers between last January and September, an increase of 42% over the same period last year.
In return, Tokyo demanded that Beijing take “appropriate measures” to curb the escalation.
Government spokesman Minoru Kihara stressed the need to keep communication channels open despite the differences in the positions of the two countries.
Japan stresses that the stability of the Taiwan Strait is “an imperative necessity for its national security,” as the island is only 107 kilometers from its territory, and this makes any conflict there threaten to involve Tokyo in a coordinated military response with Washington.
The writer reported that this crisis broke out shortly after Takaichi and her Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, held their first direct meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit, where Xi then urged her to respect agreements related to historical issues and Taiwan to avoid undermining the foundations of the bilateral relationship.
Despite China’s significant trade partnership with Japan, their ties are often tested by historical mistrust, territorial disputes, and the tight alliance between Tokyo and Washington.