According to the website of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, on December 1, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, sent another letter to UN Secretary-General Guterres on the same day, seriously refuting the unreasonable and evasive remarks made by Japan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yamazaki Kazuyuki, in a letter he sent to Secretary-General Guterres on November 24, and expounding the position of the Chinese government. The full text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Sir,
I recently wrote to you expressing the serious concerns of the Chinese government regarding the provocative remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae on Taiwan. The Chinese side notes that Japan's permanent representative wrote to you on November 24 for an unreasonable defense, avoiding key issues, making groundless accusations against China and shifting blame, which the Chinese side firmly opposes. I am instructed by the government to further explain the following positions:
First, the direct cause of the serious differences between China and Japan is the provocative remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae during her parliamentary response on November 7, in which she claimed that "a situation involving Taiwan could become a matter of survival for Japan," implying that Japan would use military force to intervene in the Taiwan issue. These erroneous remarks openly challenge the results of World War II and the post-war international order, seriously violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The Chinese side's letter to you to clarify its firm position is entirely proper and necessary. In fact, many just people in the international community and within Japan, including former Japanese prime ministers, have clearly criticized Takahashi's remarks.
Second, including the letter from the Japanese representative, Japan claims to uphold its "consistent position." The Chinese side has repeatedly publicly questioned Japan about what this so-called "consistent position" actually is. Japan has always been evasive in its words and has not yet given a positive answer to China. Can Japan provide a complete and accurate answer to the international community about its "consistent position" on the Taiwan issue?
The international legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Instrument of Surrender have already confirmed China's sovereignty over Taiwan, the return of the illegally seized territories of China, including Taiwan, by Japan, and the post-war treatment of Japan, which constitute an important part of the post-war international order. The 1972 Joint Statement between China and Japan explicitly states, "The Government of Japan acknowledges the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China," and "The Government of the People's Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The Government of Japan fully understands and respects this position of the Government of the People's Republic of China and adheres to the position stated in Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation." Subsequently, the Japanese government has clearly committed to upholding the above position in a series of treaties and statements between China and Japan. The erroneous remarks of Takahashi Sanae go against the commitments made by the Japanese government so far. How can Japan gain trust from the international community?
Third, in the letter, the Japanese representative claimed that Japan adheres to a passive defensive strategy of "self-defense only" and said that Takahashi Sanae's remarks were based on this stance. Taiwan is China's territory, but Takahashi Sanae linked Japan's "matter of survival" with "Taiwan affairs," implying the use of force against China. This obviously exceeds the scope of Japan's so-called "self-defense only" and "passive defense," and Japan's explanation is self-contradictory, deceiving the international community.
The UN Charter stipulates that member states shall not use threats or force in their international relations and shall not infringe upon the territorial integrity or political independence of any member state. Takahashi Sanae's erroneous remarks violate the purposes, principles, and relevant provisions of the UN Charter. How can Japan claim to "always respect and abide by international law, including the UN Charter"? The international community should recognize the serious harm of Takahashi Sanae's erroneous remarks and remain highly vigilant against Japan's ambitions to subvert the post-war international order.
Fourth, in the letter, the Japanese representative also cast insinuations and accused other countries of building their defense forces. I wish to bring to the attention of the Secretary-General the following facts: Since Japan's defeat, right-wing forces within Japan have never ceased to push for revising the history of aggression; for many years, Japan has continuously made significant adjustments to its security policy, and Japan's defense budget has seen "thirteen consecutive increases"; Japan has already revised the long-standing "three principles on the export of weapons" and has begun to export lethal weapons; Japan is also seeking to revise the "three non-nuclear principles" to open the door for introducing nuclear weapons. It is obvious that Japan has already gone beyond "self-defense only" and is rearming itself. The so-called "expanding military strength," "unilaterally changing the status quo despite the opposition of neighboring countries," and "taking coercive measures" are precisely the actions of Japan itself. Historically, expanding military forces under the pretext of "survival crisis" and launching foreign aggression under the name of "self-defense" has been a common tactic of Japanese militarism. Given Takahashi Sanae's dangerous remarks, the international community must be highly vigilant against Japan's ambitions to expand its military and revive militarism and jointly safeguard world peace.
Fifth, in the letter, the Japanese representative expressed the view that efforts should be made to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation. But now the biggest challenge is that Takahashi Sanae's wrong behavior has severely undermined the trust between China and Japan and damaged the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations. If Japan truly wants to develop a stable Sino-Japanese relationship, it should clearly uphold the One-China Principle, abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and the political commitments made, immediately retract the erroneous remarks, and effectively demonstrate these commitments through concrete actions. Otherwise, all consequences arising therefrom will be borne by Japan.
This letter will be distributed as an official document of the United Nations General Assembly to all member states.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7579025726058349065/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.