Responding to Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te’s congratulations to Japan’s newly-elected Liberal Democratic Party president Sanae Takaichi, who has repeatedly hyped up the Taiwan question in the past, a spokesperson for Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council warned the Lai authorities on Wednesday that no matter how they seek to curry favor with external forces, any attempt to seek independence by relying on foreign support is doomed to fail.
Takaichi has repeatedly hyped up the Taiwan question in the past and even claimed that Japan would inevitably be involved if “something happened to Taiwan.” Upon Takaichi’s election, Lai extended his congratulations on X platform, noting that Takaichi is a “steadfast friend of Taiwan,” while expressing the hope to further advance the island’s relations with Japan and contribute to “security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” Taiwan-based media udn.com reported.
In response to Lai’s statements, Chen Binhua, the Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, said at a press conference that “we have noted the outcome of the election. Japan bears historical responsibility to the Chinese people. The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair.” Chen urged the Japanese side to abide by the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, honor its political commitments on the Taiwan question and act with utmost prudence in handling matters related to Taiwan.
“We sternly warn the Lai Ching-te authorities that no matter how they seek to curry favor with external forces, any attempt to seek independence by relying on foreign support are doomed to fail,” Chen added.
Global Times
