Overview
- China’s UN envoy Fu Cong sent a letter to Secretary-General António Guterres accusing Japan of threatening armed intervention over Taiwan and warning China would exercise its right of self-defence, with the letter to be circulated to UN member states.
- Japan rejected China’s characterization as entirely baseless, with spokeswoman Maki Kobayashi urging dialogue while noting there are no plans for a Takaichi–Li Qiang meeting at the G20.
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi escalated Beijing’s rhetoric, calling Takaichi’s remarks shocking, saying Japan crossed a red line, and vowing China would hit back to defend its sovereignty and postwar order.
- Beijing has widened pressure through travel advisories, renewed curbs on Japanese seafood, halted approvals for new Japanese films, scrapped cultural events, and postponed a planned China–Japan–South Korea culture ministers’ meeting.
- The United States backed Japan, with Ambassador George Glass labeling Beijing’s steps a classic case of economic coercion and reaffirming the US commitment to Japan’s defense, including the Senkaku Islands.