Misstep or slip of tongue? Takaichi’s remark that fanned China-Japan fire was unscripted, says report

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks that ignited a diplomatic flare-up with China over Taiwan was not part of her prepared script, according to a Bloomberg report, citing documents obtained by an opposition lawmaker — raising questions over whether the premier made a significant misstep.

Tensions have simmered since November 7, when Takaichi told parliament that a Taiwan crisis could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, a designation that would allow Tokyo to deploy its Self-Defence Forces alongside other countries responding to the conflict.

However, the government’s pre-written script instructed Takaichi not to comment on hypothetical scenarios involving Taiwan, the documents obtained by lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto show. In Japan, bureaucrats routinely prepare detailed Q&A briefs for cabinet ministers ahead of parliamentary sessions and press conferences.

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The discrepancy between the scripted response and Takaichi’s actual statement suggests the prime minister departed from official policy language, potentially fueling the diplomatic fallout.

Beijing has since demanded a retraction of her remarks. Takaichi has refused, insisting that Japan’s position on Taiwan remains unchanged.

“The Cabinet Secretariat’s response was the same as that of previous administrations, and she should have said she would refrain from answering hypothetical questions about a Taiwan emergency,” Bloomberg quoted Tsujimoto as saying after posting images of the script on X.

The script prepared by government bureaucrats — which includes both advance questions from lawmakers and recommended answers — indicated that the prime minister should keep her remarks on Taiwan deliberately vague, according to the images released.

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The Cabinet Secretariat declined to verify over the phone the authenticity of the documents posted on lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto’s X account, though it acknowledged that documents had been disclosed to her.

In further inquiries to the Cabinet Office, Tsujimoto obtained a written response stating that the prime minister’s remarks in parliament were broadly consistent with the government’s position.

“Prime Minister Takaichi repeatedly said that ‘the government will make a judgment based on all available information, based on the specific circumstances of that situation,’ which aligns with the government’s stance on the matter,” the document said, according to Tsujimoto.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara sidestepped questions on whether Takaichi’s Taiwan comments had been pre-approved, telling reporters to seek clarification from the responsible department.

Though Takaichi has refused to retract her remarks, she told parliament last month that she had “learned her lesson” and would refrain from addressing specific scenarios in the future.

Her statement nevertheless provoked a sharp backlash from Beijing, deepening an already fraught dispute. China has warned its citizens against traveling to Japan, lodged complaints with the United Nations, and urged other countries to reaffirm their support for its “One China” principle.

Tokyo, meanwhile, has accused at least one Chinese fighter jet of directing fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft last Saturday. Beijing countered that Japanese fighters had interfered with its military drills.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke on Friday, expressing grave concern over actions that elevate tensions and warning that China’s behavior is undermining regional peace and stability, according to a statement from Japan’s Ministry of Defence.

With inputs from agencies