(MENAFN) Japan summoned Beijing's ambassador Friday following Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian's inflammatory remarks targeting Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's statements regarding Taiwan.

Takehiro Funakoshi, vice minister for foreign affairs of Japan, summoned Wu Jianghao, ambassador of China to Japan, and "made a strong protest regarding the highly inappropriate remarks recently made by Xue," said a statement from the ministry.

Last weekend, Xue posted on U.S. social media platform X that he would "cut a dirty neck without a moment of hesitation," after Takaichi declared last week that any Chinese military action against Taiwan—including a naval blockade—could qualify as a "survival-threatening situation," enabling Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense.

Xue's post was subsequently deleted.

Funakoshi "once again strongly demanded that the Chinese side take appropriate actions," the statement said.

"Ambassador Wu made statements based on the Chinese position, and Vice Minister Funakoshi countered these statements based on the Japanese government's consistent and long-standing position," it added.

The policy chief of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Takayuki Kobayashi, also stated Saturday that Tokyo should "respond firmly" to Xue's remarks.

Kobayashi also told reporters that Japan "will continue dialogue and make efforts to build constructive and stable Japan-China relations," after China advised its citizens to avoid travel to Japan, according to media.

Beijing-Tokyo ties are "extremely important," Kobayashi said, adding that Japan's stance toward China remains unchanged.

Takaichi's remarks drew a response from Chinese authorities, including summoning Japan's ambassador to deliver "serious démarches."

Wu Friday also summoned Funakoshi to lodge strong protests against Takaichi's remarks, according to media.

Wu said Takaichi "made blatantly provocative remarks regarding China's Taiwan region, and refused to acknowledge her mistake and retract her remarks, which crossed China's red line and is a complete misjudgment of the situation."

"China will by no means tolerate such remarks, and has lodged serious representations and strong protests over it," Wu said.

The diplomatic confrontation marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the Asian powers over Taiwan, with both nations summoning each other's envoys in a rare mutual protest scenario that underscores deepening fractures in regional relations.

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