China is upset after a Japanese minister visited the self-ruled island of Taiwan over the weekend.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China is “firmly opposed to the visit” and has lodged official complaints to Japan regarding the issue.
She warned that the visit has hindered improvements in China-Japan relations, adding that Japan had recently taken other “provocative actions” regarding Taiwan.
Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Jiro Akama visited Taiwan on March 25. He attended an event promoting Japan’s culture held by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association.
Akama was the highest level Japanese government official to visit Taiwan since 1972, according to media reports.
Hua cited agreements between China and Japan that limited Japan to interacting with Taiwan only at nongovernmental and local levels. She urged to stop provoking China on the Taiwan issue, which she said “concerns China’s core interests.”
Taiwan is an independently governed island. However, the Chinese government views it as a breakaway province of China. The two sides split after the Chinese civil war in 1949.
Japanese broadcaster NHK showed Akama arriving at Taipei Airport, telling reporters there will be no change in Japan-China or Japan-Taiwan ties.