TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu on Friday (June 11) said that Tokyo has not changed its stance on relations with Taipei after Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide referred to Taiwan as a country on Wednesday.

During a meeting with opposition leaders, Suga listed Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan as nations that had “adopted strong restrictions on private rights” to combat COVID-19, according to Nikkei. Additionally, Edano Yukio, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, called Taiwan a country during the meeting, pointing to the long period in which it managed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Beijing immediately lodged a protest and accused Japan of violating its commitment to not regard Taiwan as a country, Liberty Times reported. It also demanded Tokyo clarify its position.

Kato said that Japan’s policy towards Taiwan, as stated in the 1972 Japan-China Joint Statement, has not shifted from solely maintaining practical non-governmental relations. When Japanese media asked if Tokyo would amend its position on Taiwan and treat it as a country in the future, the chief cabinet secretary repeated his statement.

Japan has been placing great importance on Taiwan recently, as demonstrated by the joint statement it made with the U.S. in April.