Images of Japan official appearing to bow before China counterpart go viral
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Mr Masaaki Kanai (left), head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, is pictured with his Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong at the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Nov 11.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM YUYUAN TANTIAN
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Images of a senior Japanese official appearing to bow before his Chinese counterpart have gone viral on Chinese social media, prompting Tokyo to lodge a complaint with Beijing on Nov 19 over “uncoordinated” press arrangements.
The shots show Mr Masaaki Kanai, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, standing with his counterpart, Mr Liu Jinsong, following their talks on Nov 18 at the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in Tokyo that the Japanese side had not been informed about press coverage of the post-meeting scenes, which show Mr Liu, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Asian Affairs Department, with his hands in his pockets.
In the meeting, the two failed to bridge the two countries’ differences over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on Taiwan,
Some Chinese social media users reacted to the images, commending them as “the best shots” of 2025 and saying that Mr Liu “looks like a teacher scolding a student who failed an exam”.
Meanwhile, China and Japan traded barbs at the United Nations on Nov 18. A Chinese envoy lambasted Ms Takaichi’s remarks and claimed that Tokyo is “totally unqualified to seek a permanent seat on the Security Council”, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
A Japanese representative countered the comments by Mr Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, saying that they were groundless and that Tokyo has contributed to maintaining peace and prosperity in the world.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning claimed at a Beijing press conference on Nov 11 that Ms Takaichi’s remarks trampled on the basic norms of international relations and challenged the post-war international order.
“Such a country cannot shoulder the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security and is not qualified to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” Ms Mao said.
She again warned that if Tokyo refuses to withdraw Ms Takaichi’s remarks, “China will have no choice but to take strict and resolute countermeasures” and that “all consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the Japanese side”.
The war of words took place at the UN General Assembly’s annual debate on Security Council reform. Japan aims to expand the current permanent membership of five nations – the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia – and become a new member.
Ms Takaichi’s comments made at Japan’s Parliament on Nov 7 suggested a potential response by Japanese defence forces in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
China regards the self-ruled democratic island as a renegade province to be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary, insisting that the Taiwan issue is purely an “internal affair”. KYODO NEWS
