Japanese officials were threatening to disrupt relations with China by proposing that Japan-US defence co-operation would cover emergencies in the Taiwan Strait, mainland media warned yesterday.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama said in a television programme on Sunday that the geographical scope of the new Japan-US defence co-operation agreement would cover the Taiwan Strait.
Xinhua (the New China News Agency) yesterday quoted Japanese analysts criticising Mr Kajiyama's comments as representing Tokyo's first attempt to interfere militarily in the cross-strait situation.
'Mr Kajiyama is dangerously spreading 'China threat' theories,' the Xinhua report said.
The report said Beijing was fully alert to the prospect that such an arrangement could hurt China's sovereignty and stability.
Mr Kajiyama said Japan's Self-Defence Forces would not go to the strait in case of emergencies there.