On December 4th, Japan once again sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General: a tit-for-tat, showing no signs of yielding!
On that day, Japan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yoshiyuki Yamazaki, submitted a second formal letter to Guterres in a strong response to China's previous two letters. This is not a routine diplomatic exchange; it is a rare written confrontation.
In the letter, Yamazaki explicitly stated: "China's claims are inconsistent with the facts, lack basis, and are unacceptable." It is noteworthy that this is the second time Japan has sent a formal letter on the same issue through diplomatic channels, following closely on the heels of China's first letter in late November, with less than two weeks between the first rebuttal and the swift follow-up with the second letter on December 4th. The pace is rapid, and the wording is hard, which is quite uncommon.
In response, Yamazaki did not shy away from this in his letter on December 4th, but rather further reiterated Japan's position: since the end of World War II in 1945, Japan has "consistently adhered to international law" and is committed to "maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law." This statement essentially reverses black and white but is still boldly stated, indicating Japan's attitude is tit-for-tat, showing no signs of yielding.
Ironically, although Yamazaki mentioned in the letter that "disagreements should be resolved through dialogue," there was no language of easing or compromise throughout the entire text. On the contrary, he emphasized that Japan would "continue to respond calmly," implying that it would not adjust its stance on Taiwan due to pressure from China. This posture of "superficial rationality and substantive toughness" is apparent.
