Taiwan politician denounces Japanese lawmaker's collusion with separatist forces

China's countermeasures against Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya have been echoed by local concerns in Taiwan. Politician Hsu Meng Hsiang has denounced Furuya's military-themed proposals as a dangerous "war mobilization" that threatens regional stability.

China's Foreign Ministry announced sanctions and countermeasures against Furuya on Monday, saying this is "an action of warning and deterrence" in response to his egregious actions related to China's Taiwan region.

The measures include freezing his assets in China, prohibiting financial transactions and cooperation, denying visas and prohibiting entry.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news conference in Beijing on the same day that Furuya has persisted in his actions despite China's repeated clarifications of its firm position on Taiwan following erroneous remarks from the Japanese side.

A notable feature is the countermeasures only target Furuya personally and do not involve the Japanese government or broader economic and trade relations with Japan.

Furuya is no ordinary politician in Japan. Born in 1952, he is now a member of Japanese House of Representatives and regarded as one of the key advisors to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Several times he has visited the Yasukuni Shrine that enshrines 14 Class-A war criminals from World War II.

Since 2018, Furuya has been leading a pro-Taiwan organization within the parliament. In 2025 alone, he made two trips to Taiwan, saying that "Japan is determined to protect Taiwan." Recently, he proposed in Taiwan the cultural exchanges between the military band of the Taiwan region with those of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military.

Furuya angered many in Taiwan, especially those who support the reunification of China.

"The people in Taiwan are concerned about life necessity and security. We do not want the kind of war mobilization depicted in military band exchanges. We will absolutely not allow the Taiwan separatists and external forces to take advantage of any opportunity to deliberately disrupt peace and stability," Hsu Meng Hsiang, secretary general of the Labor Party of Taiwan, told China Media Group.

The sanctions against Furuya occur against the backdrop of an accelerated rightward shift in Japan's policy towards China.

According to media in Japan, the Japanese government is urging China to lift the sanctions against Furuya. Furuya himself has stated he possesses no assets in China.

On Wednesday, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has reiterated the country's firm position. Spokeswoman Zhang Hao stressed that the countermeasures taken by China are reasonable and legal, adding that Japan should deeply reflect on its history, learn from its historical lessons, and earnestly reflect and correct its mistakes.

China's Foreign Ministry said if Furuya failed to reign in his wrong behavior and continued to collaborate with Taiwan separatist forces in taking provocative moves, China will take any additional punitive measure it deemed necessary in the future.

Taiwan politician denounces Japanese lawmaker's collusion with separatist forces

China is willing to continue working with Russia within the framework of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, maintain timely communication on major issues, and make joint efforts to help de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, safeguard regional peace and stability, and uphold common security for the world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

China and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should uphold fairness and justice on matters of principle, adopt an objective and balanced approach, and seek greater understanding and support from the international community, Wang said.

Noting that China has consistently advocated the resolution of international and regional hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation, Wang said that the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, hostilities are still escalating, and the fundamental solution to ensuring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz lies in achieving an early ceasefire and bringing the war to an end.

For his part, Lavrov said Russia is highly concerned about the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Regarding the ongoing conflict and the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov said Russia maintains that military operations must be stopped immediately and efforts should return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement to address the root causes of the conflict, and the UN Security Council should play a constructive role in this regard.

Russia stands ready to maintain close communication and coordination with China and continue to make efforts and speak out in support of a ceasefire and the end of the war, he said.

China willing to cooperate with Russia to de-escalate Mideast situation: FM