Tokyo said on Wednesday it had protested earlier this week against “highly inappropriate comments” by China’s ambassador to Japan, which appeared to insinuate that the Japanese people would be brought “into the fire” of conflict over support for self-ruled Taiwan.
The government’s top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, said Tokyo had lodged a “serious protest” with Beijing on Monday over Ambassador Wu Jianghao’s remarks to a group of Japanese politicians and scientists, which coincided with a delegation from Japan attending the inauguration of the attended the new government building. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
Beijing regards Taiwan’s new leader as a “dangerous separatist”, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described Lai on Tuesday as “disgraceful”.
