Takaichi's Taiwan gambit: a dangerous provocation with consequences

Despite repeated representations from China, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has refused to repent for her blatant and provocative rhetoric on Taiwan, which severely violated the one-China principle, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, and sent a dangerously wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" forces.

Recently, Takaichi cited the so-called "survival-threatening situation" and linked it to the Taiwan question, suggesting Tokyo might treat the Taiwan question as grounds for military intervention. Her reckless rhetoric was met with widespread criticism across the Taiwan Strait and sparked controversy in Japan itself.

Prior to these comments, shortly after taking office as prime minister of Japan, Takaichi met with personnel of the authorities of China's Taiwan region on the sidelines of the APEC meetings and hyped it on social media, which severely violated the one-China principle.

It is, of course, common knowledge that the Taiwan question is at the very heart of China's core interests -- a red line that surely must not be crossed. Anyone or any force that dares to interfere in the Taiwan Strait and obstruct China's reunification, will bear grave consequences and reap bitter fruits.

Japan must not evade its historical responsibility for its crimes during the 50-year colonial rule -- the darkest days in Taiwan's history. Hundreds of thousands of Taiwan compatriots were killed. People in Taiwan became "colonial slaves." The island's resources were plundered by frenzied Japanese occupiers. Following the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Taiwan was restored to its motherland, marking the end of Japanese occupation.

Multiple international treaties and historical documents, including the 1943 Cairo Declaration, the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and the 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between China and Japan, leave no room for doubt that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, a fact which brooks no challenge.

How to resolve the Taiwan question and achieve complete national reunification is a matter solely for the Chinese people. No one and no force has the right to make unwarranted remarks. In light of its historical crimes and responsibilities, Japan must exercise greater caution in its words and deeds.

Japan should have learned from its past, but right-wing Japanese politicians refuse to repent. From time to time, they have disseminated extremely erroneous and negative remarks on the Taiwan question. Through colluding with "Taiwan independence" forces, they hype up the "China threat" rhetoric -- using Taiwan as a strategic pivot in their geopolitical gambit. Their interior motive is to subvert the post-war international order and revive their notorious militarist past.

Takaichi's inflammatory rhetoric will only erode the bedrock of mutual trust between China and Japan and risk dragging Japan into the abyss.

Takaichi should learn a hard but important lesson -- a nation that refuses to repent for its historical atrocities will be firmly condemned by history and 1.4 billion Chinese people. Nothing can stop the historical trend of China's reunification, no matter what disruptions external forces may cause.