TOKYO/BEIJING, Nov 17 (Reuters): Japan on Monday moved to tamp down an escalating row with China over Taiwan that has prompted Beijing to urge its citizens to stay away from its East Asian neighbour.
The dispute erupted after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Japanese lawmakers earlier this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response, a scenario previous administrations have avoided discussing in public to avoid provoking Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island.
Masaaki Kanai, the director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asia and Oceania bureau, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Liu Jinsong, in Beijing this week, Japanese media reported on Monday. Kanai is expected to explain that Takaichi's comment does not signal a shift in Japan's security policy and urge China to refrain from actions that further damage ties, they said.
Taiwan sits just over 110 km (68 miles) from Japan's westernmost islands and near vital sea lanes Tokyo relies on for oil and gas shipments. Japan also hosts the largest concentration of U.S. military power outside the United States.
"Various channels of communication are open," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary said at a regular press briefing when asked about Kanai's reported China visit.
China's travel warning, he added, "is incompatible with the broad direction of promoting a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship. We have made a firm request for the Chinese side to take appropriate steps."
Takaichi may get a chance to speak directly to China's Premier Li Qiang later this week, with both expected to attend the Group of 20 summit in South Africa from Friday.
Speaking to reporters in New Taipei on Monday, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said China was carrying out a "multifaceted attack" on Japan.
"I call on the international community to continue paying close attention and I also urge China to exercise restraint and demonstrate the conduct befitting a major power, rather than becoming a troublemaker for regional peace and stability," he said.
Photo from Reuters
