TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China told a visiting delegation of Japanese lawmakers Thursday that it would not change its policy toward Japan unless it revises its position on Taiwan, The Japan Times reported Thursday.
CCP International Department deputy head Lu Kang told the cross-party delegation that Japan should “honestly and earnestly handle the Taiwan issue in accordance with the one-China principle,” according to a department readout.
The delegation’s visit is the first by Japanese lawmakers since Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said in November that Chinese military action around Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. The designation could allow Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense and respond militarily, per The Japan Times.
Isa Shinichi, a Lower House member of the Centrist Reform Alliance who led the delegation, said Lu told lawmakers that China would not change its policy toward Japan unless Tokyo changed its understanding of the Taiwan issue. Isa described the meeting as “a difficult exchange of views,” but said it was “an important step toward the next stage.”
The delegation also called for the early release of Japanese nationals detained in China and the lifting of Chinese export restrictions on rare earths and other materials.
The delegation, which includes Liberal Democratic Party Lower House lawmaker Hashimoto Gaku and Komeito Upper House member Kawamura Yudai, arrived in Beijing earlier this week at China’s invitation. The visit comes as relations between the two countries remain strained over Taiwan and economic issues.
