Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently stated that if a "Taiwan contingency" is accompanied by the use of force, it could constitute a survival-threatening crisis for Japan, enabling the exercise of collective self-defense. On June 8, Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian shared related news on social media and threatened, "Cut off the dirty head." According to the Mainichi Shimbun, Japanese government officials confirmed on the morning of the 10th that they had lodged a strong protest against this comment.
Sankei Shimbun reported that on the 7th, Takaichi, during questioning in the House of Representatives, stated that if a "Taiwan emergency"—that is, an urgent situation occurs in Taiwan—and is accompanied by the use of force, it could potentially constitute a "survival-threatening crisis" under Japan's security legislation, which allows for the exercise of collective self-defense. However, she added that it would still depend on the specific circumstances of each individual case.
A "survival-threatening crisis" means that even if Japan is not directly attacked, when the U.S. or other countries closely related to Japan are attacked by force, it creates a state of danger that threatens Japan's national survival and fundamentally undermines the lives and rights of its citizens. This is one of the requirements for the Self-Defense Forces to exercise limited collective self-defense.
In response, on June 8, Xue Jian reposted an Asahi Shimbun article on the social media platform X, titled "Prime Minister Takaichi says a Taiwan emergency could be recognized as a survival-threatening crisis, enabling the use of force," and wrote: "Such a dirty head that broke in on its own should be cut off without hesitation. Are you ready for that?"
He concluded the comment with an angry emoji.
As of 6:30 PM (Taiwan time) on the 9th, the post was no longer accessible. Sankei Shimbun attempted to call the Chinese Consulate-General in Osaka to confirm the authenticity and intent of the statement, but was unable to obtain a response. Mainichi Shimbun reported that Xue Jian appears to have deleted the post.
According to Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese official revealed on the morning of the 10th that the Japanese government had strongly protested Xue Jian's remarks. However, the report did not specify which level official from the Japanese government had expressed this opinion. (News Source: United Daily News)