Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso on Tuesday described China's Taiwan region as a "country," which even US media outlet Bloomberg has noted that such remarks are "breaking with Tokyo's stance of avoiding describing the island as a sovereign nation and risking Beijing's anger," and concluded that such remarks are "unlikely to signal a change of Japan policy." Chinese observers, taking note of the signal that Japan's new cabinet sends to China is that Japan is willing to "comprehensively promote the strategic relationship of mutual benefit between Japan and China," said that Aso's remarks reflect that some Japanese politicians have yet to awaken from their erroneous judgments and stance regarding the Taiwan question.

Aso made the remarks during a ceremony in Tokyo related to a major public holiday on the island of Taiwan, according to a Kyodo News report. 

Aso said that Taiwan is a "country close to Japan," and emphasized the significance of maintaining friendly relations despite the lack of diplomatic ties.

According to Bloomberg, Aso described Taiwan as an important "country" for Japan, breaking with Tokyo's stance of avoiding describing the island as a sovereign nation and risking Beijing's anger.

Bloomberg also said that Aso's remarks are unlikely to presage a shift in Japanese policy.

Aso, 84, currently serves as the supreme adviser to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Lü Chao, a research fellow on Northeast Asia studies at Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Aso's wrong remarks are a serious offense and provocation to the Chinese people, which cannot be tolerated.

Aso's remarks came amid recent signs of a thaw in Beijing-Tokyo relations. In his first policy speech to parliament on October 4, Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Japan will "establish a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship through the efforts of both sides," and that Japan will "comprehensively promote a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests and build up a track record of close communication at all possible levels."

Besides, the two countries are working toward finding a solution to allow the gradual resumption of imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards.

It is hoped that Japanese politicians can take a view on the importance of China-Japan relations, and avoid destabilizing the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, Lü noted.

Aso, regarded as a right-wing conservative politician, has a track record of making provocative remarks over the Taiwan question. In January, Aso said an emergency surrounding Taiwan would be "undoubtedly a crisis for Japan's existence." Aso also said that Japan, the US and other like-minded countries need to be prepared to "put into action a very strong deterrence" in terms of defending Taiwan during his visit to the island in August 2023. 

According to Lü, some veteran Japanese politicians, including Aso, who was born in 1940, have never left behind the old dream of "Japan's colonial occupation of Taiwan," and they may try to use the Taiwan question as a bargaining chip to provoke and confront China.