China-Japan row widens at UN as Taiwan remarks called ‘greatest challenge’ to ties
Ambassador Fu Cong sends second letter to UN chief insisting Tokyo must retract comments or bear ‘all consequences’
Fu’s message on Monday was issued in response to his Japanese counterpart, Kazuyuki Yamazaki, who last week accused Beijing of “stifling” bilateral engagement. In his own letter to the UN, Yamazaki argued that the Japanese leader’s comments did not go beyond the post-World War II defence posture.
“The greatest challenge at present is that Takaichi’s erroneous words and deeds have severely undermined the mutual trust between China and Japan and damaged the political foundation of China-Japan relations,” Fu wrote in his letter to the UN chief.
But even as bilateral tensions have escalated, at least two key organisations in Tokyo have reportedly offered to visit China.