China Warns Japan of ‘Severe Defeat’ if It Uses Force Over Taiwan: Diplomatic Tensions Escalate

China Warns Japan of ‘Crushing Defeat’ if It Attempts to Intervene in Taiwan

China’s Defence Ministry warned on Friday that Japan would suffer a “crushing defeat” if it attempted to use force to intervene in Taiwan, sharply escalating rhetoric following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments.

Takaichi triggered a diplomatic row last week when she told parliament that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose an “existential threat” to Japan and potentially force a military response from Tokyo.

The dispute intensified after China’s top diplomat in Osaka shared an article referencing Takaichi’s remarks and added a provocative comment: “If someone sticks their filthy neck into this, it should be cut off.” Japan lodged a formal protest with China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Beijing.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin called Takaichi’s statements “extremely irresponsible and dangerous.”

“If Japan refuses to learn from history and dares to take risks—or even resorts to force—to interfere in the Taiwan issue, it will face a crushing defeat and pay a heavy price against the People’s Liberation Army,” Jiang said in a statement.

On Thursday, Sun summoned Japan’s ambassador to China, Kenji Kanasugi, to express Beijing’s “strong protest”—the first such summons in more than two years. The last instance was in August 2023 over Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

China’s Foreign Ministry also voiced “serious concerns” over Japan’s recent security and military moves, including what it called troubling ambiguity over Tokyo’s non-nuclear principles. Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Japan’s refusal to rule out the purchase of nuclear submarines signaled a “major negative shift” in policy.

Beijing’s Longstanding Complaints Resurface

Chinese state media has launched a wave of criticisms against Takaichi, citing Japan’s wartime history and Beijing’s continued sensitivities over Taiwan-related matters.

The Communist Party’s flagship newspaper, People’s Daily, wrote that Takaichi’s remarks were far from “isolated political posturing.” Published under the pen name Zhong Sheng—often used for authoritative views—the commentary accused Japan’s right-wing factions of trying to break free of post-war constitutional constraints and re-establish themselves as a military power.

The editorial added that in recent years Japan has accelerated its military buildup, citing repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, denial of the Nanjing Massacre, and amplification of the “China threat theory.” It argued that Takaichi’s actions follow the same historical path of revisionism and attempts to revive militarism.

Historic grievances stemming from World War II and Japan’s 1931 invasion of China continue to shape strained relations between the two countries.

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects these claims, saying its future can be decided only by its own people. Just 110 km from Japanese territory, Taiwan sits along critical trade routes on which Tokyo heavily depends. Japan also hosts the largest contingent of U.S. forces stationed abroad.

Japanese broadcaster NTV reported Friday that the Chinese embassy in Tokyo has advised its staff to avoid going out due to rising anti-China sentiment.

At a regular briefing, Japan’s top government spokesperson Minoru Kihara reiterated Tokyo’s long-held stance on Taiwan, saying Japan hopes the issue will be resolved peacefully through dialogue.

China Steps Up Pressure on Taiwan Independence Voices

China has also intensified its rhetoric against individuals it labels as “hardline” Taiwan independence advocates.

On Friday, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office condemned Puma Shen, a legislator from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), following his visit to Berlin earlier this week. Shen said China had threatened to arrest him abroad, but he refused to be intimidated.

TAO spokesperson Chen Binhua said Shen and other independence proponents had “entered their final stage and reached a dead end,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.

A day earlier, Chinese police issued a wanted notice and offered a $35,000 reward for two Taiwanese social media influencers, accusing them of “separatism.” The influencers mocked the notice online. One, rapper MANNM PYC, even posted a video pretending to surrender at a Taiwan police station, writing sarcastically, “Why won’t Taiwan police arrest me? Does that mean everyone here supports Taiwan independence?”

China’s legal system has no authority or jurisdiction in Taiwan.