October 8th, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning presided over a regular press conference.
AFP reporter asked that, according to reports, Japan has requested China to show appropriate respect for its Prime Minister, Yukie Akamine. Japan said that the Chinese Foreign Ministry often directly refers to Akamine by her name at press conferences, without adding any titles. What is the comment from the Foreign Ministry on this?
Mao Ning stated that China has repeatedly clarified its stance on current Sino-Japanese relations.
According to reports by the Japan News Agency and other media, at a press conference held by the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday (October 7), a journalist asked that when China's Foreign Ministry criticized the Gao government recently, it did not use the title of the Japanese Prime Minister but directly referred to the individual. Some argue that this approach of not using titles is unusual and may be intentional. A spokesman for the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Toshio Kitamura, responded by stating that the Japanese side is aware of China's remarks but would not comment on specific details.
He added, "In any case, we believe that it is appropriate from an international etiquette perspective to show respect for a country's leader, even if we have different opinions on this matter."
Kitamura Shunbo also said that Japan has approached China for negotiations, but has not specified the details of these negotiations, citing reasons related to “diplomatic communication”.
The Chinese side has repeatedly emphasized that the wrong actions and statements of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihida Nakayama regarding Taiwan are the most serious issue facing current Sino-Japanese relations. Japan should adhere to the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, learn from historical lessons, and take practical steps to earn the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community.
