Japan Holds Off on Expelling Chinese Consul General Amid Beijing's Retaliation Warning
Japan's government reviewed expelling Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian, who posted comments suggesting Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should have her "neck cut off," but held off after China warned of retaliation, it was revealed on the 8th. Expulsion is a measure that forcibly sends a diplomat back to their home country—a move that could severely damage bilateral relations.
The day after Prime Minister Takaichi mentioned the possibility of Japan exercising collective self-defense in a Taiwan contingency last November, Consul General Xue wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "That dirty neck that meddles so brazenly must be cut off without a moment's hesitation." The Japanese government protested, saying the remarks were inappropriate for a head of a diplomatic mission, and the post was later deleted.
In mid-November last year, Prime Minister Takaichi reportedly summoned Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and Foreign Ministry officials, instructing them to review expelling Consul General Xue. The plan was to designate him persona non grata—a diplomatic term for an unwelcome person—if China did not recall him.
The Japanese government initially expected that even if it proceeded with the expulsion, the matter would end with China expelling one Japanese consul general in return. However, the situation changed when Masaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, met in Beijing with Liu Jinsong, then director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of Asian Affairs, to convey the possibility of expulsion. Liu warned: "If you expel one, we will expel two." In the end, Prime Minister Takaichi held off on the expulsion, citing the risk of further deterioration in Japan-China relations.
Meanwhile, the two countries' positions remain far apart. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said at a press conference on the 6th that Japan's existing position on Taiwan remained unchanged, but dodged questions over whether Prime Minister Takaichi would retract her remarks. The same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged Japan to promptly correct its wrong words and actions regarding the Taiwan issue.
