In the days that followed Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi’s controversial remarks over Taiwan in November, Beijing convened a rare meeting with Southeast Asian envoys to rally regional support for its campaign against Japan – but that effort has so far gained little traction.
Multiple sources familiar with the matter told the South China Morning Post that China had summoned most Southeast Asian ambassadors or their deputies late last year, framing the meeting as a channel to hear the region’s views on Takaichi’s comments.
But at the meeting – chaired by a deputy director general-level official – China also urged individual countries to stand with Beijing and support its position on the Japanese prime minister’s comments, according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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Sources said the Southeast Asian envoys had been told they should support Beijing’s position as countries in the region were victims of Japanese aggression during World War II.
The meeting took place days after Takaichi suggested on November 7 that Japan could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, as it would constitute a survival-threatening situation for Tokyo. It was the first time a sitting Japanese prime minister had made such remarks and a departure from Japan’s long-held strategic ambiguity.
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Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, fiercely protested against the comments, viewing them as a sign of Tokyo’s desire to return to its pre-war path of militarism.
