00:00China and Japan are entering into an increasingly escalating spat over the
00:23Taiwan issue and with both nations refusing to back down there are fears
00:28that the situation could lead to a full-blown war.
00:32The diplomatic spat began earlier in November when the newly instated Japanese Prime Minister
00:38Sanahei Taikichi made remarks about how Japan would respond to a hypothetical Chinese attack
00:45on Taiwan.
00:47On November 7, Taikichi, while speaking in the parliament, said that a Chinese naval blockade
00:54or any other action against Taiwan will prompt a Japanese military response.
00:59This response was not something her predecessors have ever made before, as they have only expressed
01:05concern about the Chinese threat to Taiwan, but never mentioned a response.
01:11The statement immediately raised protests from China, with both its foreign and defense ministries
01:18demanding a retraction of the comments.
01:21China's consul general in Osaka even appeared to make threats to the Japanese PM in a now-deleted
01:28post which read, and I quote,
01:30As Taikichi refused to retract her comments, China summoned the Japanese ambassador and warned
01:45of a crushing defeat if Japan interfered with Taiwan.
01:51The following day, Japan, too, summoned the Chinese ambassador and complained about the
01:56consul's post.
01:58On November 14, China issued a no-travel advisory for Japan, an apparent attempt to target Japan's
02:06tourism sector, which is heavily dependent on Chinese tourists.
02:11China has also warned Chinese students studying in, or planning to study in Japan, about the
02:17recent crimes against Chinese.
02:21China further increased tensions as its coast guard started patrolling disputed areas in the
02:26East China Sea.
02:29Chinese vessels patrolled near a group of uninhabited islands that both countries claimed.
02:34In response, Japan condemned the brief violation of Japanese territorial waters by Chinese ships.
02:43On November 18, in a bid to cool down tensions, diplomats from both sides met in Beijing.
02:50However, the meeting did not appear to ease the tensions and there seemed to be no signs
02:56of the impasse breaking.
02:58China has demanded a retraction of Japanese PM Taikichi's comments, but with the PM outrightly
03:04refusing to do so, fears of a military confrontation in the region are rising.
03:23Subscribe to OneIndia and never miss an update.
03:30Download the OneIndia app now.
Comments