Japanese PM's Taiwan remarks criticized by international observers

International experts and political figures have voiced firm opposition to recent erroneous remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concerning Taiwan, stressing that it seriously threatens peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Takaichi's provocative rhetoric reflects Tokyo's accelerating right-ward political shift, according to Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and chairwoman of the Schiller Institute, a German think tank.

"This is an attempt by Japan to return to the direction of imperial militarism, which does not have any grounds in reality - there is no place for an imperial, militarist Japan given the current strategic situation. So I believe it is a misguided policy that they are pursuing," she said.

Takaichi's remarks erode the political foundation of China-Japan relations, as they go against the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, which states "The Government of Japan recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China." Japan should fully understand and respect China's position, which is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China.

Former South African Ambassador to Portugal and High Commissioner to Kenya, Kingsley Makhubela, said that the Japanese prime minister's remarks could have a serious impact on regional stability.

"Prime Minister Sanae, she made a bit of a big mistake by wanting to interfere on the Chinese domestic affairs. Her view that she's willing to defend Taiwan was ill-conceived and I think it's creating a serious security problem in that part of the world," Makhubela said.

Former Chilean ambassador to China Jorge Heine also pointed out that the prime minister's irresponsible remarks have added uncertainty to Japan's own diplomatic efforts.

"Some would say irresponsible in the sense that they changed the established policy of Japan. No Japanese prime minister until now said what she said in terms of Japan's reaction to a conflict situation in Taiwan. In that sense, it introduces a new variable, a new card into the foreign policy game," he said.

Japanese PM's Taiwan remarks criticized by international observers

The U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran since February 28 have inflicted irreparable damage on the country's priceless cultural heritage sites, according to Hassan Fartousi, secretary-general of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Fartousi said that 132 cultural heritage items have been attacked in recent strikes, emphasizing that the losses extend far beyond monetary valuation.

"Last night, I was told that 132 pieces [items] of our cultural heritage have been attacked, and it is really impossible to say how much the costs are, and it can be said that these (damaged cultural heritage items) are priceless and irreparable. How can these be defined?" Fartousi said.

Among the most severely affected sites is the Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2013.

Fartousi said that about 40 percent of the palace's historic mirror works, dating back nearly 220 years to the Qajar period, have been damaged.

"Unfortunately, in Golestan Palace, there are almost 40 percent of the mirror works [that] have been damaged which belong to almost 220 years ago, the Qajar period. The same situation [occurred] in the Saad Abad complex [in] which the Green Palace [was] attacked in a way which the specialists were telling me very sadly that it may not be possible to repair some of the damages," he said.

The Golestan Palace complex, selected as the royal residence and seat of power by the Qajar ruling family in the 19th century, has been described by UNESCO as "a masterpiece of the Qajar era, embodying the successful integration of earlier Persian crafts and architecture with Western influences."

The Saad Abad complex, a sprawling former royal compound in northern Tehran, encompasses an extensive park with multiple buildings now serving as museums dedicated to Iran's cultural history. The official residence of Iran's president is located adjacent to the site.

U.S.-Israeli airstrikes cause irreparable damage to Iran's cultural heritage sites: UNESCO official