China criticizes Takaichi over G7 remarks

China on Thursday criticized Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her remarks at the Group of Seven summit in France, saying they were "particularly obtrusive" and exposed an attempt to rally allies and incite confrontation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference that Japan has habitually formed "exclusive groupings against China" at forums such as the G7 in recent years, when asked about Takaichi's remarks expressing concern over the potential impact of China's rare earth export restrictions on Japan.

Beijing's criticism comes amid an ongoing bilateral row over her comments last November on a potential Taiwan crisis.

Takaichi said at a news conference following the summit that she had raised regional security issues involving China at the G7 summit.

The Japanese leader said Tokyo's goal of building "constructive and stable" relations with Beijing remains unchanged, and she is open to dialogue with the neighboring country.

But Lin said her simultaneous calls for dialogue and confrontational actions are a "glaring self-contradiction that has laid bare Japan's hypocrisy for the world to see."

He urged Tokyo to take concrete actions to safeguard the political foundation of China-Japan relations, if it truly wants to improve bilateral ties.

The escalating bilateral tensions followed Takaichi's parliamentary comments that suggested an attack by mainland China on Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island Beijing claims, could prompt a response by the Japan Self-Defense Forces in support of the United States.

© KYODO