Beijing announced sanctions Monday against Keiji Furuya, a Japanese legislator who serves as a key advisor to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, citing his connections to Taiwan independence movements.
The Chinese foreign ministry declared that Furuya will be prohibited from entering China and any property or financial holdings he maintains in the country will be frozen with immediate effect.
As chairman of a bipartisan Japanese-Taiwanese legislative alliance, Furuya has made numerous trips to Taiwan while accompanying Japanese government officials. His most recent visit occurred earlier in March when he met with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te in the capital city of Taipei.
Beijing’s foreign ministry criticized Furuya for working with what they termed “separatist forces” in Taiwan, claiming he continued making these visits “in defiance of China’s strong opposition.”
China considers Taiwan, which operates as a democratic government, to be part of Chinese territory and opposes diplomatic visits by international officials to the island, viewing such actions as violations of the “One China” policy and challenges to Beijing’s territorial claims.
Taiwan’s leadership disputes Beijing’s assertions of sovereignty over the island.
The ministry declared that Furuya’s activities “constitute gross interference in China’s internal affairs, and seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
When questioned by journalists at Japan’s legislative building, Furuya defended his Taiwan visits as routine responsibilities of the parliamentary organization he chairs. He noted that he has not traveled to mainland China in many years and maintains no financial interests there, according to Kyodo news service.
Furuya played a significant role as a trusted advisor to Prime Minister Takaichi, backing her campaign for leadership of the governing Liberal Democratic Party in the previous year.
Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have grown increasingly strained since Takaichi stated in November that Japan might respond militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.
Beijing previously imposed sanctions on another Japanese legislator, Seki Hei, who was born in China, for his public statements regarding Taiwan and related matters.
