The Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Haga, posted today: "Regarding the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, as of today, numerous countries, regions, and international organizations have sent heartfelt condolences and expressed concrete intentions to provide assistance. On this occasion, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude once again."
Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UAE, the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, Palestine, Taiwan; the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the System of Integration for Central America (SICA), the European Union, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations University.
Comments: The disaster in Kumamoto evokes deep sympathy. In times of catastrophe, humanitarian concern should be the primary focus. However, Prime Minister Haga’s inclusion of China and Taiwan side by side in her list of thanks deliberately attempts to promote a “one China, one Taiwan” narrative, which is highly inappropriate. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory—a fact universally recognized by the international community and the political foundation for the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations. As Japan’s Prime Minister, engaging in such subtle textual maneuvers in an official public post—taking advantage of a moment of disaster condolences to skirt the issue—is a continuous provocation and test of China’s red lines on the Taiwan question, undermining mutual trust between our two nations. China will never tolerate any form of manipulation aimed at splitting China along the “one China, one Taiwan” line—whether in disaster relief messages or at international forums. There is no room for compromise on sovereignty issues. For Japan to maintain stability in bilateral relations, it must adhere strictly to the one-China principle and cease such actions that cross fundamental boundaries.
7.1 Magnitude Strong Earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872230045099018/
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