Beijing, China – July 28, 2025 –
The Chinese government today expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to a recent “private” visit by Lin Chia-lung, the head of Taiwan’s “foreign affairs department,” to Japan, where he reportedly met with several Japanese politicians. Beijing views the visit as a serious violation of the “One China” principle and a dangerous signal to what it calls “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
According to reports, Lin Chia-lung’s visit took place last Friday, during which he was seen in a photograph posted on social media by Keiji Furuya, a lawmaker from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who chairs a cross-party group promoting relations with Taiwan. The photo also reportedly included Sanae Takaichi, a former economic security minister, and Nakasone Yasutaka, director of the LDP Youth Division. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry described Lin’s trip as “private,” and he reportedly visited the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Tokyo, Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Japan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun, addressing the issue in a regular press conference today, stated that Japan’s actions in allowing Lin Chia-lung’s visit provided a “platform for ‘Taiwan independence’ forces to engage in anti-China separatist activities.” Guo asserted that this “seriously violated the basic norms governing international relations and the principles in the four political documents between China and Japan.”
“China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it,” Guo declared, adding that Beijing had lodged “serious representations to the Japanese side in Beijing and Tokyo and made strong protests.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson underscored that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” and that “the Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, and bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations and basic trust between the two countries.” Guo also pointed out that this year marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s “restoration” from Japanese colonial rule, emphasizing Japan’s “serious historical responsibilities to the Chinese people.”
Beijing urged Japan to “abide by the principles in the four political documents between China and Japan” and “act on its solemn commitment.” Guo warned Japan to “deeply reflect on and learn lessons from history, act all the more prudently on the Taiwan question, not to harm China’s sovereignty in any way and not to send any wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.” He concluded by stating that Japan should “never underestimate the firm resolve, will and ability of the Chinese people to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1972, Japan has maintained robust unofficial ties with Taipei, particularly through economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. However, any high-profile visits by Taiwanese officials to Japan, especially those involving meetings with Japanese politicians, consistently draw strong condemnation from Beijing, which views Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
