Taipei: A visiting senior Japanese lawmaker has criticized China for its reaction to Taiwan-related comments made by Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, saying Beijing was engaging in its "usual tactics" by distorting the truth.

According to Focus Taiwan, in his address on Monday at the annual Yushan Forum, Keiji Furuya, a senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party who has served in the House of Representatives since 1990, said China had no reason to react negatively to Takaichi's remarks made on Nov. 7, 2025. "Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks maintained the government's previous position and [were] not problematic," Furuya said, while taking aim at recent remarks by a Chinese official.

Furuya highlighted that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had misinterpreted Takaichi's remarks, even suggesting a threat to national existence, which Furuya claimed were criticisms not based on facts. He stated that this behavior exemplified China's "usual tactics," and that Japan had no reason to make any concessions.

Furuya was referring to a statement Takaichi made during a Diet session in November, when she indicated that a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan would constitute a situation threatening Japan's survival and could therefore warrant a military response from Tokyo. The statement was widely seen as a continuation of Japanese policy, but it drew an angry reaction from Beijing, leading to actions such as issuing travel and study advisories for Japan, suspending imports of Japanese seafood, and conducting military drills.

Despite the backlash, Takaichi has not retracted her statement. In the same speech, Furuya proposed establishing exchanges among military bands of Japan, the United States, and Taiwan as part of a trilateral cultural exchange program to promote peace. Furuya described these exchanges as "purely cultural," and expressed that China should not interfere with such initiatives.

At a follow-up press event later on Monday, Furuya mentioned that Japan and the U.S. regularly conduct military band exchanges and that it would be beneficial for Taiwan, which shares democratic values with Tokyo and Washington, to join such exchanges. He noted that he had pitched the idea to the top U.S. representative to Taiwan, Raymond Greene, and to President Lai Ching-te, both of whom responded positively.

Furuya heads the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council, which comprises around 300 Diet members and serves as a friendship association between the parliaments of Japan and Taiwan, promoting bilateral ties.