Tension between China and Japan escalated to unprecedented levels on Monday, after the Japanese government filed a formal complaint with Beijing over a violent threat against Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made by the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian.
The diplomat had posted a message on social media that caused shock in Tokyo and much of the international community: "We have no choice but to cut that filthy neck that has lunged at us without hesitation. Are you ready?"
The comment was later deleted, but its content was enough for Japan to label the post as "extremely inappropriate." According to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japanese embassy in Beijing lodged a formal protest and demanded sanctions against the Chinese official.
The incident originated after Takaichi, during a parliamentary session, warned that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could be considered a threat to Japan's national survival, which would enable collective defense under legislation passed in 2015 during the administration of Shinzo Abe, her former ally.
Beijing reacted with fury. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian not only refused to condemn the consul's words, but justified them as a response to the Japanese prime minister's "erroneous and dangerous comments." In addition, he urged Tokyo to "reflect on its historical responsibilities", a common reference by the communist regime to Japan's imperial past.
