Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks on China's Taiwan are tantamount to a declaration of war against China, said Akinobu Ito, president of the Japan-China Workers Exchange Association.
Takaichi claimed during a Diet meeting on Nov 7, 2025 that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, a remark that immediately drew strong criticism at home and abroad.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Ito stated that Takaichi's remarks amount to a rupture in diplomatic relations with China and even imply a declaration of war.
"Takaichi's remarks completely deny the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communiqué, which normalized diplomatic relations between the two countries. Put bluntly, it is a notice of severing diplomatic ties. To describe this as Japan's 'survival-threatening situation' is, in my opinion, a warning of an impending war," he said.
Ito also emphasized the importance of historical education and reflection in light of the current international landscape.
"I believe the most important issue is education, starting with textbooks. For 30 to 40 years, the Japanese government has been engaged in a continuous denial and distortion of historical facts. We need to go back once again to what it meant for Japan to be defeated in the war and to accept the Potsdam Declaration, and reflect on the 80 years since the end of the World War II," said Ito.
Takashi's erroneous remarks closer to war declaration: Japanese analyst
