China Urges Japan's Takaichi to Correct Taiwan Remarks

Beijing, Sept. 29 (Jiji Press)--Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to correct her remarks about Taiwan during his meeting in Beijing Monday with former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Japan's leader needs to correct mistaken remarks about the issue of Taiwan as soon as possible, said Wang, foreign minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee.

This was the first official meeting between Wang and a Japanese politician since Takaichi's remarks in November about a possible Taiwan conflict drew ire from China and caused a rapid deterioration in relations between Tokyo and Beijing.

China apparently wanted to send a warning signal to the Takaichi administration through a meeting with a Japanese politician who places importance on relations between the two countries.

Noting that this year marks 80 years since the opening of the Tokyo war crimes tribunal following the end of World War II, Wang said that it is not possible to open the way for the future without the right attitude on history issues.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]