China's defense ministry warns Japan of heavy price for intervention into Taiwan question

China's defense ministry on Thursday warned Japan that should it dare to cross the red line and invite troubles to itself, it is destined to pay a heavy price.

"The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and how to solve the Taiwan question has nothing to do with Japan," Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said in response to the progress of a Japanese plan to station medium-range surface-to-air missiles at Yonaguni Island about 110 kilometers east of China's Taiwan region.

"The People's Liberation Army has strong capabilities and reliable means to defeat any aggressors," he said.

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration, Jiang criticized Japan for suggesting military intervention into a so-called Taiwan contingency, instead of repenting for its war crimes of invading and colonizing Taiwan.

This dangerous approach, Jiang warned, will uproot the post-WWII international order and lead Japan to repeat the mistakes of its militarist past.

When commenting on Japan's air-defense missiles sales to the United States and discussions on increasing its defense spending, Jiang called on the international community to be on high alert, as Japan's revisionist attempts, including drastically increasing its defense budget, relaxing restrictions on weapons export, and attempting to intervene militarily into the Taiwan question, pose serious threats to regional peace and stability.

"We urge the Japanese side to fully repent for its war crimes and immediately abandon dangerous attempts. Any attempt to repeat the evil path of aggression and expansion and undermine the post-WWII international order will not succeed," he said.