China and Japan recall their ambassadors after a diplomatic dispute over Taiwan and a threat from the Chinese consul to the Japanese Prime Minister

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Takaishi, Japan’s first female ruler, said in a speech in parliament last week that any armed attack by China against Taiwan could justify sending Japanese troops to support the island, citing “collective self-defense” by the two countries.

– (If the emergency in Taiwan involves) warships and the use of force, this could constitute a situation that threatens (Japan’s) survival, any way you look at it – said the prime minister, a disciple of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a fierce critic of China and its expansionism in the Asia-Pacific region. – The so-called emergency in Taiwan has become so serious that we need to anticipate the worst possible scenarios.

Following these statements, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japanese Ambassador Kenji Kanasuji for consultations on Thursday. According to a statement issued by the Chinese ministry on Friday, Sun filed a formal complaint with Japanese authorities over what he described as the prime minister’s “wrong statements.”

“If anyone dares to interfere in any way in the issue of China’s unification, this country will undoubtedly respond firmly,” he added. The Chinese Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, in an apparent reference to the Japanese Prime Minister, threatened to “cut this filthy throat without a moment’s hesitation.” The post was later deleted, but it did not prevent Tokyo from filing a protest with Ambassador Wu Jianghao, and for the ruling party to issue a resolution calling for the consul to be declared persona non grata.

Tokyo normalized diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1972, but relations have been constantly strained by historical issues. Japan also maintains a warm relationship with Taipei.

Japanese prime ministers have avoided commenting directly on Taiwan’s defense recently, preferring to maintain “strategic ambiguity” — the same tactic used by the United States, which does not precisely reveal plans to mobilize its military forces to defend Taiwan.

This position is evident in comments made by Japanese Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Friday, who stated that his government’s position on Taiwan remains “consistent” with the 1972 Japan-China Joint Declaration, the document in which Japan recognized the “one-China” policy.

University of Tokyo professor Yi Kwang-heng’s assessment is that Takaishi’s comments may reflect his “personal tendency” to indicate a tougher stance. But he pointed out that although clearer communication “can increase deterrence,” it is necessary to “find a delicate balance with the other side of the coin, which is to keep the adversary in doubt.”

Japan’s self-imposed rules stipulate that the country may only act militarily under certain circumstances, including an existential threat.

Wang Hongjin, a political analyst at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, said Tokyo’s comments sent a very strong message to China.