Her choice of words was important because that is the precise formulation that would allow Japan to deploy its military forces against China. Beijing is demanding that the prime minister should withdraw the remarks and it rejects Tokyo’s insistence that they did not represent a change in policy. China's foreign ministry and its embassy in Japan advised Chinese citizens against future travel to Japan following recent remarks by the Japanese prime minister concerning Taiwan. A commentary in People’s Daily said Takaichi had poisoned relations between Japan and China. “As a country that once launched a war of aggression and committed heinous crimes in Taiwan, Japan should draw serious lessons from history and handle Taiwan-related issues with greater prudence.
