Japan has filed a formal protest with China after a diplomat from that country allegedly called for "cutting off the head" of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over her stance on Taiwan. As stated by Japanese government spokesperson Minoru Kihara, these comments are "extremely inappropriate coming from the head of a Chinese diplomatic mission abroad." The statement refers to a message posted on social media X by the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, which was later deleted. Kihara also noted that this is not the first time Xue has caused controversy. Taiwan, for its part, maintains that the "Republic of China and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other".
