Overview
- China’s Defense Ministry cautioned that Japan would “pay a painful price” and face a strong PLA response if it intervenes in the Taiwan Strait.
- Both governments summoned each other’s ambassadors as Beijing issued a formal protest and Tokyo declined to retract Takaichi’s hypothetical security remarks.
- The Chinese consul general in Osaka deleted a post threatening to “cut” Takaichi’s head, prompting a Japanese protest and calls from some lawmakers for his expulsion.
- China urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, and major Chinese airlines announced refunds and free itinerary changes; Tokyo criticized the advisory.
- The dispute unfolds as Beijing denounces a recent U.S. approval of about $330 million in military spare parts for Taiwan.