China Summons Japanese Envoy Over Ex-PM's Taiwan Remarks

China on late Wednesday summoned the ambassador of Japan to protest "brutal interference in China's internal affairs."

The summon came after Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said: "Japan cannot allow Taiwan to be invaded by force." He was virtually speaking at the National Policy Research Institute in Taiwan.

"President Xi Jinping must not make a misjudgment (on Taiwan); taking military adventures is tantamount to taking the road to economic suicide," Abe had said, angering Beijing.

Following Abe's remarks, Shui Hideo, the Japanese ambassador in Beijing, was "urgently" summoned to the Chinese Foreign Ministry where Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying "lodged solemn representations regarding the false statements" made by Abe concerning China, a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"The former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made extremely erroneous remarks on the Taiwan issue, brutally interfered in China's internal affairs, blatantly provoked China's sovereignty, flagrantly supported the 'Taiwan independence' forces," Hua told Hideo.

She said Abe's statement "seriously violated the basic norms of international relations."

Japan "has no right or power to make irresponsible remarks on the Taiwan issue," the Chinese diplomat told the Japanese ambassador.

"China strongly urges Japan to deeply reflect on history and draw lessons from history, not to harm China's sovereignty in any way, not to send any wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' forces, and not to underestimate the Chinese people's determination, and strength to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," she added.

China considers Taiwan as its "breakaway province" while Taipei insists on its independence since 1949 having diplomatic relations with 15 nations.

Exchanges between Washington and its allies, including Japan, and Taiwan have increased recently, triggering tensions with Beijing. -