Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Furukawa Keiji recently visited Taiwan to attend the ninth Yushan Forum. On March 30, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to this diplomatic visit by officially announcing targeted political sanctions against him.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong official protest and stern condemnation on March 31. Spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei(蕭光偉)stated during a press briefing that Beijing's aggressive actions fully exposed its deeply authoritarian mentality and inherent bullying nature.
Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) told reporters that China's heavy reliance on international sanctions reveals a failing strategy. He argued that Beijing's constant need to conduct diplomacy through transnational repression proves its diplomatic outreach has completely lost its global appeal.
Beijing's Retaliatory Measures
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning (毛寧) accused Furukawa of repeatedly visiting Taiwan despite strong objections from Beijing. She claimed his diplomatic engagement constituted dangerous collusion with separatist forces, seriously violating both the one-China principle and the four foundational Sino-Japanese political documents.
The newly announced countermeasures dictate that all of Furukawa's potential assets within Chinese jurisdiction would be immediately frozen. Furthermore, the sanctions strictly prohibit any transactions with Chinese organizations and officially deny him entry visas for mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Furukawa casually dismissed the sanctions during a recent interview with Japanese media, noting he has not visited China in decades. Emphasizing that he holds absolutely no personal assets there, the lawmaker stated these retaliatory measures would have little practical impact.
"I simply did what was natural to do," Furukawa told reporters regarding his ongoing support for Taiwan. He added that the Chinese government regularly tends to impose arbitrary sanctions over these kinds of routine international diplomatic engagements.
Taiwan Defends Sovereign Diplomacy
During the regular press briefing, Hsiao reiterated that the Republic of China operates as a fully sovereign and independent state. He emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party has never governed Taiwan, making mutual non-subordination an objective reality recognized worldwide.
Hsiao declared that Taiwan's ongoing diplomatic engagement with like-minded democratic countries represents a fundamental exercise of sovereign authority. He stated categorically that the government in Beijing possesses absolutely no legal or moral right to aggressively interfere with these international partnerships.
The spokesperson praised Furukawa as a crucial international friend who has visited the democratic island dozens of times. Since assuming his council chairmanship in 2018, Furukawa has consistently led annual delegations to formally celebrate Taiwan's National Day alongside local officials.
Furukawa has also actively facilitated vital trilateral security dialogues involving Taiwan, the United States, and Japan. Additionally, he successfully promoted important administrative changes, allowing Taiwan to be listed as a distinct nationality option in official Japanese household registration documents.
A Failing Diplomatic Strategy
Speaking at the Legislative Yuan, Chen emphasized that Furukawa remains a longtime, deeply valued friend of Taiwan. He strongly criticized Beijing's aggressive approach, stating the foreign ministry vehemently disapproves of China conducting its international relations through blatant transnational repression.
Chen argued that China's constant resort to intimidation and threats actually reflects Taiwan's steadily rising international standing. He suggested that Beijing frequently manufactures unnecessary geopolitical disputes, only to eventually find awkward ways to back down when diplomatic reality demands it.
As evidence, Chen cited China's earlier sanctions against U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which were quietly ignored recently. Beijing conveniently set those penalties aside while preparing to host a highly anticipated diplomatic meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Chen concluded that this glaring inconsistency perfectly illustrates how China's transnational repression remains entirely ineffective and ultimately self-defeating. He described Beijing's heavy-handed approach to modern international diplomacy as truly lamentable and guaranteed to generate massive internal problems for the Chinese government. （Related： Interview | KMT Vice Chairman Explains The Strategic Logic Behind Historic China Visit ｜ Latest ）
