Following a meeting in Tokyo on March 21, 2025, between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a clarification contradicting a claim by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had published text on its website stating that Ishiba had said he “respects China’s stated position” on China-Taiwan reunification; the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied that Ishiba had made such a statement.
The disputed text on the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website stated “The Japanese side fully recognizes the importance of the four political documents between Japan and China, respects China’s stated position, and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China to promote the development of bilateral relations, bringing greater benefits to the people of both countries.” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “Prime Minister Ishiba did not make such a statement” in regard to the phrase “respects China’s stated position.” The Japanese Ministry has lodged a protest with Beijing.
As of this writing, China’s Foreign Ministry website has not removed the text that was inserted into Ishiba’s statement. Instead, China’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that Japan should “adhere to the four China-Japan political documents” at a press conference on March 24, 2025. At the conference, a reporter for the China Review News Agency asked Guo for China’s position on the “four China-Japan political documents.” Guo said that those documents, including the 1972 China-Japan Joint Statement and the 1978 China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, “constitute legally binding guidelines for bilateral relations.“ He further stated, “The historical context and legal basis clearly demonstrate that adhering to the One-China principle is a solemn political commitment and an international legal obligation that Japan must uphold.” “The rhetoric such as ‘a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency’ and claims that the China-Japan Joint Statement lacks legal binding force’ severely undermine the political foundation of China-Japan relations are not only completely wrong but also extremely dangerous. We urge Japan to honor its commitments, handle the Taiwan issue prudently, and take concrete actions to sustain the momentum of improving China-Japan relations.”
Sources:
1. China News Agency (Taiwan), March 22, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202503220243.aspx
2. China’s Foreign Affairs’ Ministry website, March 21, 2025
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/wjb_673085/zzjg_673183/xws_674681/xgxw_674683/202503/t20250321_11580043.shtml
3. China’s Foreign Affairs’ Ministry website, March 24, 2025
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/fyrbt_673021/202503/t20250324_11580936.shtml