BEIJING - China said Friday a Japanese Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait earlier in the day, prompting it to lodge a strong protest with Japan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun criticized Japan at a press conference for deliberately attempting to provoke China by sending the vessel, and said the status of Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing, is a "red line that must not be crossed."
If confirmed, it would be the first such passage by a Japanese vessel since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office in October 2025.
Ties between the two Asian neighbors have sharply deteriorated since Takaichi's parliamentary remarks last November that suggested a Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt an SDF response.
Guo said her "erroneous remarks" have already severely impacted the bilateral relationship and urged Tokyo to "stop going further down the wrong path."
