Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday urged the US and Japan to abide by the one-China principle and honor their commitments on the Taiwan question,MKS sports and strongly opposes the latest joint statement made by the US and Japan concerning China's Taiwan region. 

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held their first meeting last week in Washington. According to a joint statement released by the White House, the two leaders said they opposed "any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion" in the Taiwan Straits, and expressed support for "Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations." 

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that the part of the US-Japan joint statement on China constitutes open interference in China's domestic affairs and an attack and smear against China, which is also aimed at scaremongering in the region. China deplores and firmly opposes this, and has lodged serious protests with the US and Japan.

Guo said that both the US and Japanese governments have made serious commitments to China on the Taiwan question. In particular, Japan bears serious historical responsibilities for its aggression against Taiwan and colonial rule over the island, and should all the more act prudently on the Taiwan question.

Guo added that the biggest threat to peace in the Taiwan Straits at present are the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" forces and the external connivance and support they receive. If relevant countries truly care about peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, what they should do is uphold the one-China principle, and unequivocally oppose "Taiwan independence."

"We call on the US and Japan to abide by the one-China principle and honor their commitments, immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop sending any wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' forces in any form, earnestly respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, stop manipulating China-related issues, and take concrete actions to play a constructive role for peace and development in the region," Guo said. 

Liu Jinsong, director-general of the department of Asian affairs of China's Foreign Ministry, met with Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in China Yokochi Akira on Monday and lodged a solemn representation, expressing serious concern and strong dissatisfaction over Japan's recent negative moves related to China during the recent US-Japan summit meeting and in a joint statement, according to a statement published on the website of the ministry.

Zhou Yongsheng, a deputy director of the Japanese Studies Center at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday that the negative remarks "demonstrate that the US and Japan view Taiwan island as a pawn to counterbalance China's future development."

According to the joint statement, the US and Japanese leaders also expressed views opposing China's "provocative activities" in the South and East China Seas.

"The negative content regarding China in the joint statement indicates that the US and Japan aim to use their alliance to contain China," Zhou said.  

Despite relations between China and Japan showing signs of thawing under the Ishiba administration, Japan's latest move also highlighted Tokyo's duplicity, according to Zhou.

Ishiba's negative claims about China during his US visit served as a pledge of loyalty to the US, aimed at pleasing the US by opposing China, according to Lü Chao, an expert on East Asian studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

The Taiwan question is a bottom-line issue for China. If the leaders of the US and Japan do not have a correct understanding of these fundamental principles, it will be difficult to discuss any improvement in relations, said Lü.