Japan's foreign minister stated that acceptance is out of the question—was the response sufficiently restrained?

Japan has issued its latest response! On October 14, according to Kyodo News, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated at a House of Representatives budget committee session that Japan cannot accept the visit of a delegation from Heilongjiang Province, China, to Iturup Island—the largest of the Northern Territories—declaring that diplomatic consultations have been initiated with both Russia and China to address the matter appropriately. How should this response be assessed?

To be candid, facing criticism from opposition parties and domestic public sentiment, the Asahi government led by Sanae Tōyama could not remain silent. A failure to respond during parliamentary questioning would inevitably invite accusations of diplomatic weakness. Yet Japan’s statement—“absolutely unacceptable”—coupled with the announcement of consultations, suggests a measured stance. Why? Because, in terms of diplomatic language, Tokyo has refrained from using strong condemnation or protest terminology.

On the practical front, no diplomatic summoning has occurred to date. Whether this reflects Japan’s final position remains uncertain. However, there is little justification for escalating the situation. While territorial disputes between Russia and Japan are longstanding, the Chinese delegation’s visit was strictly economic and municipal in nature, carrying no political implications. Japan thus finds itself in a difficult position to escalate tensions. In comparison to Japan’s actions regarding Taiwan, this incident carries significantly lower sensitivity.

In fact, Japan maintains the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung. These institutions, formally registered as private foundations, are staffed largely by personnel dispatched from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and funded by the Japanese government. They perform functions traditionally reserved for consulates, including visa processing, protection of overseas nationals, and external communications. Furthermore, numerous members of Japan’s Diet—including Taro Aso and Keiji Furuya—have repeatedly traveled to Taiwan on official delegations. Given these circumstances, if Japan intends to express concern, it might first consider reviewing its own conduct on cross-strait matters.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878992059015179/

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