Beijing announced Monday it is imposing sanctions on a Japanese politician who serves as an ally to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, citing his ongoing diplomatic connections with Taiwan as the reason for the punitive measures.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry revealed that Keiji Furuya will be prohibited from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macao, while also being barred from conducting any business with Chinese organizations or individuals. These restrictions take effect immediately.
Furuya serves as the leader of a cross-party Japanese legislative group focused on Taiwan relations and has made numerous trips to the island. His most recent diplomatic mission occurred in mid-March when he traveled to Taipei for discussions with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
The sanctioned lawmaker played a significant role as Takaichi’s campaign strategist, directing election efforts for their ruling Liberal Democratic Party before its February electoral success.
Chinese officials accused Furuya of making repeated Taiwan visits despite Beijing’s strong objections and charged him with “colluding with Taiwan independence separatist forces.”
According to the ministry, Furuya’s diplomatic activities breach the one-China doctrine — Beijing’s position that Taiwan belongs to China — and “grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs and seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Speaking to reporters after learning of the sanctions through Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Furuya stood by his actions. He stated that “it is only natural” for legislative groups to foster relationships between “countries” that share similar democratic principles.
Furuya downplayed the sanctions’ potential effects, noting he hasn’t traveled to China in decades and maintains no financial interests there. “So I don’t think there is any impact” from the restrictions, he said.
This diplomatic friction represents the most recent escalation in Beijing-Tokyo relations since Takaichi angered Chinese leadership last November. She declared that any hypothetical Chinese military assault on Taiwan would create a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially warranting Japanese military involvement.
Her statement departed from Japan’s traditionally ambiguous position regarding potential military responses to Chinese aggression against Taiwan.
Beijing considers Taiwan matters to be domestic Chinese affairs and rejects any international interference regarding the island, responding to Takaichi’s comments with various diplomatic and economic countermeasures.
Last year, China also sanctioned Seki Hei, a naturalized Japanese opposition politician born in China, for allegedly “spreading fallacies” about Taiwan and other territorial disputes.
