 "Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivers his speech at the opening ceremony of the Lanting Forum in Beijing, China, on Monday. Reuters file")
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged his French counterpart to stick with Beijing in its diplomatic spat with Japan over Taiwan, telling Emmanuel Bonne that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had “made provocative remarks related to Taiwan” this month.
In a call with the French president’s diplomatic adviser, Yi said that China and France should “firmly support each other on issues involving each other’s core interests.” He added, “I hope that the French side will continue to firmly abide by the one-China principle.”
The conversation between the two diplomats come ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit to China, where he will hold discussions related to economic and commercial matters.
China goes to UN
China is rallying global partners in its feud with Japan. Apart from speaking with the US and France, Beijing escalated its feud with Japan to the United Nations.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, China’s permanent representative Fu Cong warned that “if Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression.” Fu accused Japan of violating international law after Takaichi suggested earlier this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo.
In his letter, Fu said Takaichi’s comments amounted to “a grave violation of international law” and warned that China would “resolutely exercise its right of self-defence under the UN Charter” if Japan interfered in cross-Strait affairs. It is the strongest language Beijing has used since the clash erupted two weeks ago.
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View AllDid Trump ask Takaechi to calm down?
US President Donald Trump called Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi this week and advised her not to provoke Beijing on the question of Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Japanese officials and an American briefed on the call.
Trump spoke with Takaichi after Chinese President Xi Jinping called the US president and spoke about China’s historic claim to the democratic self-governing island, as well as Washington and Beijing’s joint responsibility to manage the world order, the Journal said.
Takaichi dialled Trump earlier this week after the US president held a phone call with Xi. This was the first discussion between Takaichi and Trump following a diplomatic spat between Japan and China over Taiwan.
However, the report was rejected by Japan, saying, “The article has a passage that says, on the question of Taiwan’s sovereignty, (Trump) advised her not to provoke the Chinese government. There is no such fact,” Kihara told a regular media briefing, without elaborating.