Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks on China's Taiwan region have seriously violated the international law and challenged international justice, Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said during an open debate of the UN Security Council on leadership for peace on Monday.
The Japanese representative made repeated unreasonable arguments and prevaricated in an attempt to evade the issue, Sun said.
It is Takaichi who made the erroneous remarks first. It is only after that China, as a responsible major country of the international community, made clear its position solemnly to set the record straight in international fora and through bilateral channels, said Sun, adding that China's actions are fully justified, said the Chinese envoy.
Sun noted that the four political documents between China and Japan provide clear-cut provisions on the Taiwan issue, which constitute solemn commitment by the Japanese government and carry legal effect under international law, and there is no room for ambiguity or misinterpretation.
Whichever political party or individual is in power in Japan, they must always abide by the commitment of the Japanese government, said Sun.
"Takaichi's erroneous words gravely violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations, openly challenge the post-war international order, run counter to the four political documents between China and Japan, undermine the historical foundations of China-Japan relations, constitute a severe breach of the obligations of a defeated nation, fabricate pretexts for lifting the constraints on Japan's post-war military machinery, severely hurting the feelings of Chinese people while challenging international justice. With all this going on, how can we possibly believe that Japan will honor its professed commitment to a path of peace," said Sun.
Japanese right-wing forces represented by Takaichi have unleashed a torrent of erroneous statements and actions as the world celebrates the 80th anniversary of both the victory of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, said Sun.
Following the victory 80 years later, "we must not allow militarism to be resurrected or permit the specter of fascism to return," Sun said.
China once again urges Japan to reflect profoundly on the crimes it committed in the past, to honor its commitments to China and the international community through concrete actions, and to cease all attempts to gloss over its wrongdoing and get away with it, Sun stressed.
Takaichi's erroneous words violate int'l law, challenge int'l justice: Chinese envoy
