As Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wen set off for a visit to mainland China on the 7th, the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, issued a warning to Japan on the same day: “The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests. Any provocative actions seeking to interfere in Taiwan will inevitably come at a cost. We advise the Japanese side to learn from history, immediately stop playing with fire and provoking over the Taiwan issue, and halt its collusion with ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces. Otherwise, it will suffer a head-on blow.”
On the 7th, People’s Daily published an article in its third-page “Zhong Sheng (钟声)” column entitled “Any Provocative Actions Seeking to Interfere in Taiwan Will Inevitably Come at a Cost.” “Zhong Sheng” is a pen name used by the People’s Daily’s international commentary section, homophonic to “China’s Voice,” meaning “a bell for awakening the world.” It is intended to explain China’s stance on major international issues and topics concerning China.
The article states that Japanese right-wing forces are openly colluding with “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, which is both an outward manifestation of a deep-rooted colonial mentality and an attempt to use the Taiwan issue as a pretext to further stoke tensions in surrounding areas, thereby advancing “remilitarization.”
People’s Daily states that recently, in accordance with the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions,” China has taken countermeasures against Japanese House of Representatives member Keiji Furuya. This is a just action to uphold national sovereignty and safeguard international law, serving as a stern warning to Japanese right-wing forces and “Taiwan independence” separatists colluding more actively in provocations and troublemaking.
The article also reiterates that “the historical and legal facts surrounding the Taiwan issue are crystal clear,” and points out that Japan bears a historical responsibility to the Chinese people on the Taiwan issue and should therefore engage in deep reflection and exercise caution in word and deed. However, not only have Japanese right-wing forces failed to heed historical lessons; instead, they have intensified collusion with “Taiwan independence” separatists and have repeatedly launched provocations over the Taiwan issue.