China has expressed firm opposition to a Japanese official's visit to Taiwan and made serious representations to Japan over the visit, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
According to a Kyodo News report, Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Jiro Akama visited Taiwan on Saturday, becoming the highest-level Japanese government official to visit the island in an official capacity since 1972.
Jiro Akama's visit broke Japan's commitment to China of only maintaining civilian and regional exchanges with Taiwan and the principles of the four political documents agreed upon by China and Japan, spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing.
The Taiwan issue concerns China's core interests and cannot be challenged, Hua said.
According to the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the Japanese government fully understands and respects the Chinese government's position on Taiwan as an inalienable part of the territory of China.
The Taiwan issue is an important issue that has bearings on the political foundations of China-Japan ties, Hua said, noting that China's position on the Taiwan issue is clear and consistent.
Since the beginning of this year, Japan has promised to honor its commitments on the Taiwan issue, but it has repeatedly provoked troubles. This has seriously affected the improvement of bilateral ties, the spokesperson said.
Hua urged the Japanese side to quit its double-faced behavior and to stop traveling any farther down the wrong path.
It was reported that new textbooks authorized for use in Japan's senior high schools from April next year contain more descriptions of foreign and defense policies undertaken by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, including claims that China's Diaoyu Islands are the "inherent" territory of Japan.
Hua said that Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets are inherent Chinese territory and China has firm resolve and will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.
"No matter what it does or says, the Japanese side cannot change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China," said Hua.
China urges the Japanese side to respect history and facts, teach the young generation correct historical views, and stop making trouble on relevant issues, Hua said.
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