China angry after Vice President TaiwanWilliam Lai, attended the funeral of the former Prime Minister Japan Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, today, Tuesday (12/7).
“After Japan’s former prime minister, Abe Shinzo, died unexpectedly, the Taiwanese authorities took the opportunity to manipulate politics,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at the conference. AFP.
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He then said, “Taiwan is part of China, there is no such thing as a vice president.”
The Chinese government has conveyed the message to representatives of the Japanese government, their embassies in Tokyo and Beijing.
Previously, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi called the visit of the Vice President of Taiwan an unexpected visit.
So far, however, Taiwanese officials have been tight-lipped about the visit, which is likely to perpetuate further hostility with Beijing.
Taiwanese media reported that Lai made the trip on the orders of President Tsai Ing-wen.
Meanwhile, Japanese officials tried to play down Lai’s visit. Hayashi said Taiwan’s vice president attended the funeral individually.
“There is no change for our country regarding the basic policy of keeping our relationship with Taiwan as a non-governmental working relationship,” Hayashi told reporters.
During Abe’s tenure in Japan, he was nicknamed “the most friendly Prime Minister of Japan to Taiwan.”
After stepping down from office, he voiced support for the island in the face of Chinese military and economic pressure.
China views Taiwan as part of its sovereignty. However, Taipei insists on independence from the country led by Xi Jinping.
In addition, China is furious if any country has diplomatic relations with the island. Beijing also often shouts that other countries should not interfere in its internal affairs.
(isa/bac)
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