Chinese diplomat threatens to behead Japanese prime minister over Taiwan comments

A Chinese diplomat provoked outrage in Japan after threatening to behead the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in response to her statements on the situation in Taiwan. The message was posted by China's consul general in Osaka, Xue Jian, on the social network X and later deleted, but prompted the Japanese government to lodge a formal protest with Beijing.

In her post, Xue wrote: "That filthy neck that barged in on its own — I’ve got no choice but to cut it off without a moment’s hesitation. Are you prepared for that?" The comment came after Takaichi warned in Parliament that an eventual blockade or attack by China against Taiwan could pose a direct threat to Japan's survival, given its geographic proximity to the island.

Japan demands disciplinary action

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara called the diplomat's statements "extremely inappropriate" and confirmed that Tokyo filed a formal complaint with the Chinese regime. Kihara further noted that Xue had already made multiple inflammatory comments in the past and urged Beijing to take disciplinary action.

Although the message was deleted, the Japanese government maintains that such expressions exceed the bounds of diplomatic behavior and aggravate bilateral tensions between Asia's two largest economies.

Beijing backs diplomat, criticizes Tokyo

The Chinese Foreign Ministry avoided condemning its official and instead defended his words. Spokesman Lin Jian said Xue's comments were in response to Takaichi's "wrongful and dangerous" claims about Taiwan, accusing Japan of "refusing to face up to its historical responsibilities." She also warned Tokyo not to interfere in China's internal affairs.