Japanese protesters demand PM Takaichi's resignation

TOKYO - Japanese residents held a protest in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Saturday evening, demanding Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's resignation.

About 100 people rallied with banners and shouted slogans such as "Takaichi step down" and "Those who cannot conduct diplomacy are unfit to be prime minister," expressing strong dissatisfaction with Takaichi's recent erroneous remarks.

At a Diet meeting on Nov 7, Takaichi claimed that a Taiwan emergency involving the use of military vessels and military force from the Chinese mainland could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. According to legislation, Japan's Self-Defense Forces could exercise the right of collective self-defense if such a situation is recognized as "survival-threatening."

Takaichi later insisted that her remarks were in line with the government's longstanding view, and she had no intention to retract the remarks.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao met Japan's Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi on Friday to lodge solemn representations and a formal protest over Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China.