China Slaps Sanctions on Japanese Lawmaker for Disseminating "Fallacies"

(MENAFN) China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday it is imposing sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Seki Hei for allegedly spreading "fallacies" about Taiwan and other sensitive territorial disputes between the two nations.

Seki Hei, a member of Japan’s House of Councilors and naturalized citizen originally from China—also known by his Chinese name Shi Ping—has been a persistent critic of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the ministry, he has continuously disseminated falsehoods concerning Taiwan, the Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku Islands), and the Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong regions.

The ministry further condemned Hei’s visits to the contentious Yasukuni Shrine, describing such actions as a serious breach of the four political documents between China and Japan and the one-China principle. "It constitutes a grave interference in China's internal affairs and severely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said.

The Yasukuni Shrine, established in 1869 by Emperor Meiji, honors approximately 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 convicted World War II war criminals. The shrine has long fueled diplomatic friction between Japan and its neighbors, especially South Korea and China, who view visits there as a refusal to fully acknowledge Japan’s wartime history.

China’s sanctions against Hei include freezing his movable and immovable assets within China, banning Chinese entities from conducting business or cooperating with him, and denying visas and entry into China (including Hong Kong and Macao) for him and his immediate family members.

These measures took effect immediately on Monday.

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