China's New Ambassador to Japan Declares Sino-Japanese Relations at a 'Critical Juncture'

China's new ambassador to Japan characterized bilateral relations as at a "critical juncture" at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Friday April 28.

Speaking at his first press conference since arriving in Japan in March, Ambassador Wu Jianghao declared that Japan is "confronted with the most complicated situation since the normalization of relations" in 1972. And he warned Japan not to "follow" United States countermeasures against China.

Wu, formerly assistant foreign minister, argued that currently "the greatest external factor" in Japan-China relations is the US strategy of trying to pull in other countries into its efforts to contain China.

He noted that the Japanese government has identified China as its "greatest strategic challenge." Wu also expressed concern about increases in Japan's defense spending. He argued that Tokyo is "expanding its military by trumpeting a China threat."

New Chinese ambassador Wu Jianghao — *Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao attends a news conference at Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Japan April 28, 2023. (© Sankei by Shunsuke Sakamaki)*

'Will Not Renounce the Use of Force'

Concerning the Taiwan issue, Wu said that China "will not renounce the use o f force." Instead, he contended that retaining that option was justified since it served as "deterrence against 'Taiwan independence' and assurance of cross-strait peace and stability."

Wu further argued that it was Taipei rather than Beijing that was seeking to change the status quo by engaging in "salami slicing" tactics. He also dismissed as "absurd and extremely harmful" the view that a "Taiwan contingency would be a Japan contingency as well."

At the same time, Wu sternly warned Japan not to interfere. He threatened that such a situation would "directly embroil the Japanese people in the fire."

Warning the G7

Wu raised the joint statement issued on March 18 by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations. That statement referred to the importance of "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

Wu then said that he did not agree with those who say that the G7 represents the international community. Moreover, he labeled the joint statement "unfair and unjust." And he also made clear that China had protested about it to Japan and other G7 countries.

Going further, he purported to express support for the call for a "world without nuclear weapons." Japan would like to see this language included in the statement issued by the G7 Summit scheduled for May in Hiroshima.

Wu, however, mockingly suggested that the first step should be for Japan "to propose to its ally the United States" that it reject any first use of nuclear weapons.

China's Unconscionable Arrests of Japanese Citizens

The new Chinese ambassador rebuffed criticism of China's arbitrary detention of an executive of a Japanese pharmaceutical company, calling it spying. "Don't you think the individuals and organizations engaged in spying activities are the parties that should be blamed?" he said.

Then he proceeded to add criticisms of Japan's cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear site destroyed in the Great East Japan Earthquake. Arguing there have been inadequate consultations with neighboring countries, Wu said that China is "firmly opposed" to the discharge into the ocean of treated water from TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Yasuto Tanaka, Senior Writer for The Sankei Shimbun