Former Japanese PM urges current leadership to reinforce one-China principle

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said on Tuesday that current Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should retract her remarks on Taiwan and send an unambiguous signal that Japan will continue to uphold its one-China principle.

Speaking at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum held in Beijing on Tuesday, Hatoyama described Takaichi's remarks, made in November last year, as "regrettable," saying they departed from Japan's previous official position on the Taiwan question.

In November, Takaichi said that the Chinese mainland's use of force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. So far, she has shown no sign of retracting the remarks.

Takaichi should either retract the remarks or communicate unambiguously that Japan will continue to uphold the one-China principle, Hatoyama said, noting that there is precedent for restoring relations between the two countries. He emphasized that Japan's position on the Taiwan question remains unchanged.

Hatoyama, who served as Japanese prime minister from 2009 to 2010, said he has been working to promote China-Japan relations and stressed that the two sides need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation. He also said that East Asian countries, as well as countries in Southeast Asia, could establish a permanent dialogue mechanism based on mutual respect, mutual understanding, and mutual assistance.

The existing China-Japan-Republic of Korea trilateral summit mechanism is of great significance, Hatoyama said. The summit was suspended last year following Takaichi's remarks. As an advocate of building an East Asian Community, Hatoyama expressed hope that the trilateral mechanism could be further strengthened in the future.