Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated the country’s long-held position that it understands and respects China’s view on Taiwan, a comment that some Chinese social media users saw as an attempt to walk back her recent remarks.
“The fundamental position of the Japanese government regarding Taiwan remains unchanged from that stated in the 1972 Japan-China joint communique,” Takaichi said on Wednesday in parliament. She was asked whether there has been any shift in the official stance that Japan respects China’s view that Taiwan is an “inalienable part of its territory,” without specifically agreeing to the ‘One China’ principle.