China slammed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s defence of her Taiwan comments, calling her explanation “burying one’s head in the sand.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticised Takaichi’s claim that Japan could exercise collective self-defence if China used force against Taiwan, a remark even Japan’s opposition called “reckless.” Guo rejected Takaichi’s attempt to frame her comments as merely “responding to a question,” warning Japan against hiding serious policy misstatements. He also condemned her suggestion that Taiwan’s legal status is “undetermined,” calling it “an error compounded by error.” China reiterated that Taiwan is an internal matter with no foreign interference allowed.
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