PM Takaichi says Japan's position on Taiwan has not changed

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appears to have softened her stance on the remarks she made about Taiwan that sparked off a weeks-long feud with China.

In parliament on Dec. 3, she reiterated her country's long-standing position that they continue to respect China's stance that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory, though she stopped short at explicitly agreeing with China's "One China" policy.

"The fundamental position of the Japanese government regarding Taiwan remains unchanged from that stated in the 1972 Japan-China joint communique," Takaichi said, according to Bloomberg.

The communique states that Japan "fully understands and respects" China's view that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory.

The spat with China began on Nov. 7, when Takaichi said an attack on Taiwan by China could amount to a "survival-threatening situation" and trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Beijing slammed her comment as "erroneous" and "blatant provocations", demanding that she retracted the statement or face tougher economic actions, on top of an ongoing seafood ban and the government advising citizens to cancel flights to Japan.

Takaichi has refused to do so to date, though Chinese state media Xinhua reported that she faces increasing pressure to back down by Japanese lawmakers and scholars.

Top image via Sanae Takaichi/X