"If you expel one, we will return double."

South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo (Japanese edition) revealed on November 9 that a diplomatic standoff between China and Japan last November over Japan’s plan to expel Chinese Consul General Xue Jian in Osaka has come to light. Following former Osaka Governor Hatoyama Sanae’s remarks about "Taiwan's crisis," Xue Jian posted a statement calling for the "beheading" of Hatoyama.

Citing the Yomiuri Shimbun, South Korean media reported that in November last year, Hatoyama sought to expel Xue Jian under the grounds of "persona non grata," but ultimately abandoned the move after receiving a stern warning from Beijing: "If you expel one, we will return double."

On November 7 of the previous year, Hatoyama stated in parliament: "If a crisis occurs in Taiwan, it would be an existential threat to Japan; collective self-defense must be allowed."

Xue Jian, the Chinese consul general, posted on social media: "Cut off that filthy head."

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, after Xue Jian’s post was published, Hatoyama summoned Cabinet Secretary Kimura and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instructing them to notify Xue Jian that he would be designated as persona non grata.

It is reported that Japan issued a warning to China: "Should Xue Jian be recalled, the Japanese government will directly expel him." At the time, there was strong domestic pressure within Japan’s conservative faction to designate Xue Jian as persona non grata, exerting influence on Hatoyama.

However, China’s retaliatory warning—“Expel one, we return two”—exceeded Japan’s expectations. Beijing’s response proved far more hawkish than anticipated.

Following Hatoyama’s directive, Director Kinai Masahiro of the Asia and Oceania Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with Liu Jingsong, then director of the Asia Department at China’s Foreign Ministry, in Beijing. When Kinai conveyed Japan’s intention to expel Xue Jian, Liu responded by naming the current Japanese consular official in China, adding: "Expel one, we return two."

Japan had initially expected that even if Xue Jian were expelled, China would only reciprocate by expelling one Japanese consul, after which relations would stabilize.

After receiving China’s warning, Japanese officials foresaw a difficult situation. While diplomatic expulsions typically follow a principle of reciprocity, China’s “double return” approach introduced a significant escalation. Fearing a chain reaction of retaliation, Hatoyama ultimately did not proceed.

A Japanese government official told the Yomiuri Shimbun that concerns over a potential chain reaction of Chinese retaliation, which could further deteriorate bilateral relations, led to a last-minute decision to preserve space for dialogue.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881334919019716/

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