Japan Condemns China After Canceled Trilateral Cultural Talks with South Korea

TOKYO - Japan's senior government spokesperson condemned China on Friday following its decision to delay a three-nation cultural ministe...

TOKYO - Japan's senior government spokesperson condemned China on Friday following its decision to delay a three-nation cultural ministers' meeting that also includes South Korea, as a growing diplomatic dispute over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments on Taiwan starts to impact business sector engagements.

At a press briefing, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara characterized comments made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning regarding the decision as "harming bilateral people-to-people interactions" and "contradictory" to the mutual objective of Tokyo and Beijing to foster constructive and stable relations.

Mao stated at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday that Takaichi's "highly incorrect statements" have made it impossible to conduct the meeting scheduled for next Monday in Macau, and have "damaged the basis and environment" of the three-party collaboration.

The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated on Thursday that it had been notified by China two days prior that the meeting had been put on hold. Kihara mentioned there was no official statement available and refused to make any comments regarding the delay.

Japan and China have been involved in a diplomatic dispute since Beijing strongly criticized Takaichi's response to parliamentary questions on November 7, in which she stated that a military attack on Taiwan could pose a "threat to Japan's survival," suggesting a possible reaction involving Japan's Self-Defense Forces.

China, led by the Communist Party, and democratic Taiwan have been ruled separately since their division in 1949 after a civil war. The Chinese government considers the island, which governs itself, as a rebel province that must be reunited with the mainland, using force if needed, and maintains that this is solely an "internal matter."

Japan was considering a meeting between Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the two-day G20 summit in South Africa on Saturday, but the Chinese government has stated that Li has no intention of meeting with her there.

Later on Friday, Takaichi informed reporters before departing for South Africa that the advancement of strategic and mutually advantageous relations, as discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting last month in South Korea, continues to be "unchanged."

Takaichi also mentioned that Japan has maintained a "consistent" approach when it comes to assessing situations that threaten survival, emphasizing that the government will "thoroughly review all information, based on the specific and actual circumstances that occur."

Kihara stated during a different press briefing on Friday that Takaichi's comments provided scope for interpretation as an example. He further mentioned that "careful management" of the matter is necessary to avoid any additional "misinterpretation."

As the ongoing verbal conflict between the two governments persists, cultural, sports, and music events in both Japan and China have also been called off.

The Chinese Consulate General in Nagoya has called off a social event jointly organized with bilateral friendship groups from six central Japanese prefectures, including Aichi, according to a reliable source.

The two-day event was scheduled to be held from November 29 in Awara, Fukui Prefecture, with Consul General Yang Xian attending along with approximately 90 participants, including Japanese university students who have traveled to China, as reported by the source.

In the meantime, a baseball clinic featuring former Japanese professional players, scheduled for later this month in Shanghai, has been delayed because of the worsening relationship between the two countries. Several musical performances by Japanese artists in November and December have also been called off, with safety concerns and other factors mentioned.