Published on: 2026-09-15
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Beijing, September 15 /Xinhua/ — Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday called on current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to retract her erroneous statements about Taiwan. At the same time, he appealed to the Japanese government to strictly adhere to the One China principle.
Yukio Hatoyama made the relevant statement during the 13th Beijing ‘Xiangshan’ Forum, held from September 15 to 17 in the Chinese capital. According to him, Sanae Takaichi should either take back her words or, in another “absolutely unambiguous way,” convey that Japan continues to steadfastly respect the One China principle.
At a parliamentary session in November last year, Sanae Takaichi stated that “the use of force” by Mainland China against Taiwan could create a “situation threatening the existence” of Japan. She refused to disavow her statement, which implied the possibility of armed intervention in the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
Provocative statements by Sanae Takaichi have caused widespread indignation and condemnation throughout China, with the Chinese side repeatedly calling on Japan to publicly retract these remarks.
As Yukio Hatoyama noted, Sanae Takaichi’s statements cause “extreme regret” and differ from the previous official position of the Japanese government. The former prime minister stated that he would highly appreciate a radical shift in Sanae Takaichi’s statements on the Taiwan issue.
“However, given its nature, I find it difficult to remain optimistic,” added Yukio Hatoyama, emphasizing that he will continue his efforts to promote dialogue and exchanges between Japan and China.
This year the forum on the topic “Building Consensus on Stability Issues, Promoting Governance in the Security Sphere” gathered participants from nearly 100 countries, regions, and international organizations. –0–
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