Japan’s new prime minister clashes with China over Taiwan comments
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appears to be warning about China’s moves against Taiwan, sparking a diplomatic row. CBS News’ Anna Coren reports.
CBS News 24/7 is the premier anchored streaming news service from CBS News and Stations that is available free to everyone with access to the internet and is the destination for breaking news, live events, original reporting and storytelling, and programs from CBS News and Stations’ top anchors and correspondents working locally, nationally and around the globe. It is available on more than 30 platforms across mobile, desktop and connected TVs for free, as well as CBSNews.com and Paramount+ and live in 91 countries.
Subscribe to the CBS News YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/cbsnews
Watch CBS News 24/7: https://cbsnews.com/live/
Download the CBS News app: https://cbsnews.com/mobile/
Follow CBS News on Instagram: https://instagram.com/cbsnews/
Like CBS News on Facebook: https://facebook.com/cbsnews
Follow CBS News on X: https://twitter.com/cbsnews
Subscribe to our newsletters: https://cbsnews.com/newsletters/
Try Paramount+ free: https://paramountplus.com/?ftag=PPM-05-10aeh8h
For video licensing inquiries, contact: licensing@veritone.com
27 Comments
Most Chinese still haven't forgiven Japan for its war atrocities. Why?
In China alone, the number of civilians killed by the Japanese military during WWII far exceeds the death toll of the Holocaust, yet this is rarely discussed with the same gravity. Japan’s continued use of the Rising Sun flag in its navy, a symbol of its imperial past, is deeply offensive to many, akin to Germany flying the swastika today.
Imagine if Germany only commemorated its own war dead while ignoring the Holocaust, and taught a sanitized version of history in schools. The global outrage would be immediate and justified. But that’s exactly what’s happening in Japan. Historical revisionism (supported by the current prime minister), denial of war crimes, and glorification of wartime leaders persist in parts of its political and educational system. Victims of atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre and forced sexual slavery are still fighting for recognition and justice.
And as someone who has cherished Japan as a tourist for its incredible hospitality and courtesy, it pains me to see how the mainstream narrative often centers on Japan’s own wartime suffering, with the impression that they are the main victims of war, while overlooking the countless victims of its military aggression across Asia.
True peace begins with truth. Until Japan confronts its full wartime legacy, not just its own suffering, reconciliation in East Asia will remain elusive.
From 1931 to 1945, China suffered aggression from Japan. During these 14 years, more than 35 million Chinese civilians and military personnel were brutally killed, with over 300,000 civilians massacred alone in Nanjing. Unlike Germany, which has profoundly repented and apologized for its historical crimes, Japan has never made a similar sincere reflection; its politicians even pay homage to the Yasukuni Shrine, which houses the memorial tablets of war criminals, every year.
To defend the motherland and drive out the invaders, the Chinese people fought bloody battles for 14 years against millions of Japanese invading troops, despite having much inferior weapons and equipment compared to the Japanese military. China has no intention of invading other countries, but based on its painful modern history of being invaded and massacred, developing military equipment for self-defense is completely justifiable and necessary.
It is important to clarify that the Yasukuni Shrine is by no means an ordinary religious site. It enshrines Class-A war criminals of World War II, including Hideki Tojo, and is a symbol of Japan's militarist history of foreign aggression. This is fundamentally different from mosques, which are purely religious places of worship, and the two must never be simply equated. The act of Japanese politicians paying homage to the Yasukuni Shrine is essentially a disregard for historical justice and a glorification of aggressive history, and has always been strongly condemned by the Chinese people and all peace-loving people around the world.
Japan killed for millions of Chinese during world war II,so now is the time.I am Chinese,Long live Chinese💪
Lousy media. Completely didnt mentioned that Japan said that it would use its military on china if the civil war breaks out agaun between china and taiwan. The reason is its to ensure survival. The same reason given before invading Singapore, my country and the same reason before invading china and bombing pearl harbour.
日本国は、中華人民共和国と台湾の話し合いによる統一には口を挟まない。
「話し合いによる」だぞ！
って昔から言ってるよ。
China can invade Taiwan, but they'll never Conquer it…Bottom line is the People who live on Taiwan Island want nothing to to do with POOH BEAR and the CCP…They'll wage a Sustained Guerilla War with the Help of The CIA making life Hell for the Chinese Occupiers….POOH BEAR Knows this, TRUMP Told Him So!
If it angers the CCP, it’S probably good. 🇯🇵🎉
Japan says its oil tankers needs to pass through the Taiwan Straits, so if China takes Taiwan, it would threathen that route, and therefore is an existential threat. But Taiwan is a thin island barely 144 kilometers at its widest. The notion that Japan would face an “existential crisis” simply because its ships might take a slightly more eastern route is ridiculous.
With Japanese renewed aggression, UN Article 53 authorizes measures against Enemy State, like Japan.
It’s a great opportunity for China to wash off centuries of humiliation with Japanese “true unconditional surrender” and educate like the Germans to avoid another renewed aggression in the future!
She’s Conservatives
CCP bullies are upset
Regardless of whether Taiwan is a part of China or not, the use of force by CCP that endangers the lives of 23 million citizens is unacceptable from the perspective of international law.
Japan is not a country, it is a colony of the US 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑
Japan is not a country, it is a colony of the US 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑
This report is wrong. PM Takaichi was asked if a blockade of the Bashi Channel would be a situation threatening Japan's survival. She said yes if it involved deploying battleships and using force. It's only natural that supplies won't reach Japan. Chinese government's response is a false accusation.
China is rapidly building up its navy and asserting its maritime ambitions.
如果日本手里有核弹是日本人控制的核弹你认为他会丢到成今被他侵略抢夺屠杀几千万人的亚洲国家还是成今用核弹轰炸日本还他死了几十万人的美国？
The comments here filled with Chinese propaganda.
Women…
It’s crazy how many Chinese commenters live in democratic countries now but still show this intense “patriotism” while bashing Japan. Kinda scary, honestly.
Japan and Taiwan are colonies of the US. Takaichi is just a puppet of the US. They will use Japan and Taiwan to create a proxy war against China. Putin said Ukraine becoming a member of NATO is a red line, see what happened to Ukraine. Now, China has said Taiwan is a red line. China does not want to destroy Taiwan because it is considered as a part of China, so Japan will be the next Ukraine, and Takaichi will be the new Elensky.
Ever since the signing of the Plaza Accord in 1985, Japan's economy has been stagnant for 40 years. At over 265%, twice that of the US, Japan now has the highest debt to GDP ratio in the world. Among the G7 countries, Japan has the lowest productivity. What Japan badly needs now are investments. Unfortunately, investors do not like political turmoil. The US is setting up another death trap for Japan to fall into. It is so unfortunately for the people of Japan that their beloved barking chihuahua thinks it is a pit bull.
The Japanese PM is literally a brainless tool. Funny how she has the balls to call out China when Japan is nothing but a spineless US colony. As an American, I'm sick and tired of the "war industry' in my own country. They are insatiable when it comes to ruining life on earth for hundreds of millions of people. They need to be stopped once and for all.
Japan begins to fabricate nuclear weapons secretly to défend itself against agressive China and North Korea. This time Japan will bring surprise to China as in the past.The new weapons fabricate by Japan will astonish everyone. Wait to see how China will cease it's agression
Don’t mess with cart titan
If China really cherishes peace and values good faith, why bully Japan and Southeast Asians (more on Filipinos) on international waters and conduct disrespectful espionage in foreign countries?
Your OWN blatant hypocrisy is showing here.
台湾は自治区である