Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged Beijing to take action against the Chinese consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, who recently wrote on social media X: "We have no choice but to cut off the dirty head" of (Sanae) Takaichi, the country's prime minister. "We regret the repeated inappropriate statements made by the Chinese consul general in Osaka," Motegi said at a press conference in Canada, where he was attending the G7 ministerial meeting, international media reported. In response to Japan's complaint, China stated that the now-deleted post was written by Xue in a personal capacity. Japanese politicians, such as Takayuki Kobayashi of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prominent opposition legislator Kenta Izumi, demanded Xue's immediate expulsion. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung warned that the consul's statements risked inciting anti-Japanese sentiment in China. "If this is not handled properly, it could escalate significantly," Lin was quoted as saying by the dw website. Taiwan, located just 110 kilometers from Japanese territory, asserts that the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China "are not subordinate to each other." However, Beijing adheres to the "one China" principle and condemns any nation that recognizes Taiwan as an independent country.
